They flew by incredibly fast. Ten years ago, at 2:30 AM on a deep night that would not see dawn, Emanuele Sirotti's earthly life came to an end, one of the most well-known and appreciated photographers of that cycling season marked by the feats of Marco Pantani and Mario Cipollini, even though Emanuele was born on September 18th, like Lance Armstrong, for whom he never had any passion: for him, there was only The Pirate.

His heart was entirely devoted to Marco, for whom he had a genuine veneration and also a certain familiarity. A season of film rolls and slides, because digital was still yet to come. Emanuele followed Marco with passion and rigor, everywhere. On a boat fishing for mackerel in winter or along the canal in Cesenatico in summer. What Emanuele would tell with his booming voice was that lazy and tired training in the Romagna hinterland, the fountain tour, the only true test Marco did before crossing into French territory in that fantastic and luminous summer of 1998.

A terrible illness took him away ten years ago, on that night of darkness on June 12th, 2015, at the hospital in Cesena, the Romagna town where he lived his life with his beloved Alda (passed away in October 2023, ed.) and his son Stefano, who for years has also been a highly appreciated creator and collector of images.

After working in a bank for twenty-five years, Emanuele seized the opportunity to retire to dedicate his body and soul to his great passion: photography. Combined with his passion for cycling, for which he was simply obsessed. His vacations were always and only following races and riders, with whom he always had a privileged relationship like an older brother. Methodical like few others, hardworking like only those supported by boundless love, Emanuele created a massive archive accessible on the internet called "ciclismovitamia". Today, all of this is in the hands and heart of his son Stefano, to whom we send our greetings and our most sincere embrace.