Cycling News: The inquest into the death of the 1998 Tour de France winner Marco Pantani has found the Italian died as the result of a cocaine overdose.
Doctor Giuseppe Fortuni concluded Pantani died from swelling to the brain and lung tissue, a result of acute cocaine poisoning. He said there was not enough evidence to support the theory of suicide.
The report is due to be published in two weeks. Pantani, 34, was found dead in a Rimini hotel room on February 14th.
Meanwhile, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong looks likely to miss the Milan-San Remo classic, which starts today.
"My problem is that I'm not feeling that good. I've got a touch of bronchitis and the weather forecast is for possible rain. I don't want to risk anything," he was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday.
The news coincided with a statement by US Postal team director Dirk Demol that the 294-kilometre Italian World Cup event was not the ideal preparation for the Texan's attempt at a record sixth straight Tour win this summer.
Armstrong was yesterday named as the USOC's Sportsman of the Year for 2003. He also won in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and is the first to take the award four times.
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