Wow, who knew all this about Bartali! I'll have to get the book.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/w ... =hp_bf3_a2

Bartali was a giant of the road who had his best years ruined by the War. He was leading the Tour in 1937, but fell into a stream and had to abandon. He came back in 1938 and won: he was only 24. He didn't ride the 1939 edition because of the imminent war. The Tour restarted in 1947, but he didn't ride, but entered in 1948 and won the race 10 years apart. Makes you wonder what he could have achieved. Coppi had similar problems.

But what he did for the Jews was something else. A true hero.

Our sport has an amazing history, more than I realized. Talk about perspective!

Interesting that this is common knowledge in Italy and only really being discovered now [abroad, that is].

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Cervelo R3, Campagnolo Chorus/Record mix... pastatrails.blogspot.com
And you can call me Macktastik Honey Pete Kicks, thank you.

Only since his death. He apparently kept all this from his son.

Pete - I've followed the sport for 45 years, but it's only over the last few years that I've heard of the story

Absolutely fascinating story. As the adage goes, "They don't make 'em like that no more!"

KAC

There are lots of stories from history that don't get revealed/told until someone spends the time to investigate it and tell the story. Makes sense it is common knowledge in Italy as he was Italian. Their fault for hiding the story.

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"Let's plunge ourselves into the roar of time, the whirl of accident; may pain and pleasure, success and failure, shift as they will -- it's only action that can make a man."