How it works

Pantalabio is an algorithm designed to evaluate the fidelity of a replica compared to the actual bicycles used by Marco Pantani during his career, as well as the originality of the latter.

The algorithm is based on three fundamental principles:

- Historical truth

- Preservation

- Dissemination

The principle of historical truth ensures that the attribution of a bike component is specific to a precise and unique moment in the Pirate's career.

Bikes are often simply linked to a season, but in reality, there are sometimes important differences even between races.

The principle of truth can only be guaranteed through meticulous historical research, conducted through the analysis of documents, photographs, and the collection of documented and reliable testimonies.

It is an ongoing, always improvable job. In which the objectivity of the evaluations is fundamental, as is critical comparison.

The principle of preservation guarantees the priority of preserving any component with equal care, regardless of value and condition. What is worth little today or seems secondary, tomorrow could be essential and of great value.

The memory of the Pirate is made of big things but also small ones: the mission is to pass them all on.

The principle of dissemination will have increasing importance in the future: when the Pirate's memory will be preserved only by the documents concerning him, accessibility, correctness, and availability of these documents will maintain it.

For this, an easy-to-consult tool is an essential support to rely on.

Pantalabio starts from the assumption of imagining an original bicycle belonging to Marco Pantani, intact as new in every component, a theoretical, ideal bike, to which a score of ten (10) is assigned.

Having established this first parameter, following the same reasoning, we say that any bike that has no component related in any way to the Pirate will score zero (0).

In between, at some point on the scale of scores between zero and ten, will be any bike that has some detail that connects it to Pantani's bikes: the closer the score is to 10, the more numerous and precise the bike's components. This system respects the principle of preservation because it gives all components a weight that contributes to the bike's overall value.

Each component, in turn, will have a score, always from zero to ten, and a percentage of the component's score's impact on the bike's total score: the sum of the impact percentages will give 100% of the bike's total score. From zero to eight, non-original components, i.e., not actually used by Pantani himself, will be classified, while from 8 to 10, components owned and used by the Pirate will be classified.

The originality of the component can be indicated by selecting the appropriate menu.

The bike is represented by 33 total components:

Seat Seatpost Speedometer Stem Headset cap Handlebar tape Collar Left shift-brake lever Right shift-brake lever Headset Frame Handlebar Rear brake Front brake Handlebar end caps Front tire Rear tire Bottle Bottle cage Front rim Rear rim Rear hub Front hub Front derailleur Fork Rear skewer Front skewer Bottom bracket Crankset Pedals Rear derailleur Chain Cassette

They completely define the bike in all measurable aspects concerning Pantalabio's evaluation.

This system respects the principle of historical truth by giving different weights to components through their specific scores and the weight they have on the bike's final score due to the impact percentage.

Each component then has a coefficient that determines the state of preservation, which ranges from 0.5 to 1, assuming that with one, it means factory new.

This coefficient multiplies the component's score, leaving it identical if new, multiplying it by one, or, when less than 1, lowering the score depending on the state of preservation.

Pantalabio provides a specific scale to determine this parameter, expressed with letters:

A+: new component, never used, coefficient 1

A: component in perfect condition, with minimal signs of use, coefficient 0.95

B+: component in good condition with signs of use, coefficient 0.90

B: component in fair condition with signs of use, coefficient 0.85

C+: component in fair condition with evident signs of use, coefficient 0.80

C: damaged component, but functioning with evident signs of use, coefficient 0.75

S: damaged component, non-functioning or with missing parts and evident signs of use, coefficient 0.50

The S value is used when the state of the component is unknown.

This system respects the principle of preservation because it gives value even to very old and poorly preserved components. Components that no longer have the original paint, even if perfectly repainted, cannot have a coefficient better than B+.

Only the Frame component has an additional coefficient, the size, which works similarly to the preservation coefficient, being equally subject to it, multiplying by two coefficients and not just one, i.e., it is multiplied by the component's score and leaves it unchanged, multiplying it by 1, only if the size is the same or close to the one actually used by the Pirate or decreases it in case of larger or smaller sizes.

Pantalabio also establishes a scale to identify the coefficients to be applied:

XS<50

S 50-55

M 56-57

L 58-60

XL >60

By entering the various components of the bike to be evaluated in Pantalabio, various partial total values related to it are obtained, which will contribute to the final unique score.

The first is the Generic Value, which is the sum of the scores obtained from all components depending on their state of preservation, the size in the case of the frame, and whether or not they are original components belonging to or used by Pantani; this is not the most important, but it is the only absolute score peculiar to the bike, as it does not depend on any comparison.

At this point, to understand the others, it is necessary to introduce and explain the concept of categories, because Pantalabio defines five categories of belonging for the components depending on the historical accuracy concerning Pantani's bike to be compared.

Here are the 5 categories:

Perfect: the component used by Pantani on the bike to be compared or an identical one

Awesome: Not the component used by Pantani on the bike to be compared, but the closest for brand, model, and period

Nice: Not the component used by Pantani on the bike to be compared, but similar enough for brand, model

Tribute: Not the component used by Pantani on the bike to be compared, but similar enough for brand

Akin: Not the component used by Pantani on the bike to be compared, but resembles it for some shape or color characteristic.

Belonging to one of these categories determines the specific score of the component, which will be 1 if Akin, 2 if Tribute, 4 if Nice, 6 if Awesome, and 8 if Perfect; if the component is original, Pantalabio provides a coefficient to be applied to the score that brings the value of Perfect to 10.

The percentage color indicates which category the individual component belongs to.

In this way, Pantalabio can sum the component values by category and obtain a total score for the bike referring to each individual category.

The sum of the scores of all categories will finally give the partial total score defined as Categories Value.

While the category with the highest score among the 5 will give its value to Max Categories Values.

In this way, Pantalabio obtains the 3 partial values with which it will obtain the final overall score, namely

- Generic value

- Categories value

- Max Categories value

Now Pantalabio gives a percentage weight to the 3 categories, the sum of which will constitute 100% of the score, then it calculates a weighted average of the three scores and thus obtains the final unique and overall score for the bike.

It will also assign a category to the bike considered as a whole, exactly as it did for the individual components, thus assigning it the status of Perfect, Awesome, Nice, Tribute, and Akin, and indicating a percentage value, Authenticity, which will provide the degree of originality in case of the presence of parts actually used by Pantani.

Pantalabio then evaluates the bike by measuring the value of each piece according to the degree of correctness, state of preservation, originality, and rewards the coherence of the components of the composition compared to the bikes being compared.

Pantani's bikes, to which Pantalabio refers, determine the components considered correct for each specific model for each category, the impact percentages of each component, the coefficient for each frame size, and the weight percentages to be applied to the three partial final scores.

The components provided for each single category can be more than one, especially for the non-Perfect categories, it is possible that more than one component can meet the required characteristics, but it is also possible to have two equally valid Perfect components.

All these parameters are established by a Judge, whose name is indicated for each reference bike: Pantalabio, in accordance with the principle of historical truth, allows for the possibility of having multiple versions of the same bike depending on the evaluation criteria of different judges.

This is because there may be details for which there is an attribution uncertainty and therefore are subject to critical evaluation.

Anyone can therefore become a judge and propose their own version of a particular Pirate bike: they will have to indicate the 33 components of the bike, the percentages to be applied, and the values for the frame size coefficient, as well as obviously proving and documenting the correctness of each individual component. If the bike includes components not present in Pantalabio's database, they will be equally added to it.

In accordance with the principle of dissemination, Pantabike will include all reference bikes created by new judges that meet the required characteristics.

Pantalabio allows comparison with each Pirate bike individually, returning the score and category of the bike to be evaluated referring to it

But it can also evaluate which Pantani bike the bike to be evaluated is most related to.

Pantalabio allows saving your configuration and loading it later or transmitting the configuration file.

The Pantalabio database, as well as the list of replicas, can be consulted in the appropriate sections of Pantalabio.

In the database, by selecting the menu, you can see all the currently available components by type.

In the replica collection, by selecting one, you can see the suitable component versions for each category as determined by the judge for each component.