Gino the Just, Bartali, another story of Italy

" The torments of History have put a painful parenthesis in a long career crowned among others by 2 Tours de France (1938, 1948) and 3 Tours of Italy (1936, 1937, 1946) and marked by his rivalry with Fausto Coppi. By making Bartali a "Righteous Among the Nations" in 2013, the Yad Vashem memorial gave him another nickname: "Gino the Just".

Deprived of competitions during the Second World War in a divided and occupied Italy, the campionissimo turned into a clandestine messenger. Under the cover of training outings, the Florentine traveled considerable distances to carry in the tubes and saddle of his bicycle false papers intended to save threatened Jews.
Extremely discreet about his resistance activities within the Delasem network, Bartali saved nearly 800 Jews. Before the war, Mussolini's Italy had tried to exploit the talent of the young Bartali - particularly on the Tour de France. Known for his membership in Catholic Action and his opposition to the fascist regime, Bartali, who entered the Carmelite order in 1936, always refused to wear the black shirt.

Jean-Paul Vespini, a journalist specializing in cycling, reveals in Gino le Juste a whole secret side of the life of a sports giant, who was above all a remarkable man. Sport, history and politics provide the framework for this very well-documented study."

Beautiful paperback book
Published in November 2014

ISBN: 978-2-917971-45-1 – 176 pages 16 x 24cm – publisher price €18

The Bird's Step editions.