Bad break for Pantani

ITALY'S Marco Pantani, bronze medallist at the recent World Championships, was taken to hospital with a broken leg after colliding with a vehicle during the Milan-Turin cycle race.

Pantani, affectionately dubbed Elefantino (Little Elephant) by Italian cycling fans because of his bald head and large ears, was in a pack chasing the leaders on a fast downhill when the accident happened.

Observers said that as the riders came out of a bend, they hit a four-wheel drive vehicle emerging from a side road. Italian riders Davide Dall'Oglio and Francesco Secchiari suffered minor injuries in the accident.