Italian cyclist Valentino Fois, who briefly raced as a teammate of the late Marco Pantani, died Friday, his brother said. He was 34.

The cause of death was not yet known, though it might have been a pulmonary embolism, said the cyclist's brother, Antonello Fois. Officials will decide later Friday if an autopsy will be done.

Various forms of doping have been linked to pulmonary embolisms.

Fois, who apparently had been in good health, was found dead in his bed Friday morning. He was discovered by his mother with whom he lived in a small town about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Milan.

This year, Fois was riding for the Amore e Vita team and had participated in several races. In his professional career, which began in 1996, he won four minor races and a stage in the Tour of Poland.