He died two weeks ago and I only heard the first time today!
Subsequent reports state he died from a mixture of cocaine and antidepressants. What a shame!
Pretty damn heartbreaking, huh? A tragic end to a sad story. A great champion of cycling died all alone, depressed, and feeling set apart from the world, a scapegoat for doping.
A couple links: Cyclingnews has had the best coverage of his death, and the investigation. Take a look at their news section, starting on February 14. And The Gazzetta has some great pics of Pantani’s better days.
It’s been a rough year for cycling all around. So many riders dying before their time. 
Sorry you didn’t get a chance to mourn with the tifosi.