Today marks the anniversary of Italy’s liberation from Nazi occupation. There were many heroes in the resistance. One you may not have heard of is Gino Bartali, two-time winner of the Tour de France:
Twice winner of the Tour de France and three times champion of the Giro d’Italia, the Italian cyclist’s greatest achievement was the part he played in the resistance. In fact, he used his skills on two wheels to save the lives of Jews, by transporting false identity papers between cities – hidden in the seat of his bicycle.
Later, Bartali moved on to physically transporting Jewish people to the safety of the Swiss Alps in a wagon pulled along by the bike. His fame proved to be a valuable asset, as he was able to tell patrols that his various journeys were simply part of his training – though he aroused suspicion, as a national hero, police likely didn’t want to risk upset by arresting the cyclist.
It is unknown exactly how many people Bartali saved, as the humble cyclist refused to be interviewed about his rescue activities.
Bartali was featured in the 2014 documentary My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes:
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