Introduction
Denis Zanette (23 March 1970 – 10 January 2003) was an Italian professional racing cyclist.
He rode in eight editions of the Giro d'Italia and made one start in the Tour de France, in 1995. He won a stage in both the 1995 and 2001 Giro's d'Italia. He came third in the 2001 Tour of Flanders.
Death
Zannette died suddenly in January 2003 at Pordenone hospital after collapsing at his dentist's office in his hometown Sacile. Investigations were started to reveal if his death was doping-related, since Zanette had been mentioned on a list of riders who had allegedly been in possession of banned drugs during the 2001 Giro d'Italia where he won the 10th stage. The cause of death was later revealed as heart failure due to a probable heart disease aggravated by a neglected flu.
He was survived by his wife Manuela and daughters Anna and Paola.