Gino Bartali arguably was one of the best cyclists in history. Sure, he won the Giro d’Italia twice, in 1936 and 1937, and the Tour de France in 1938. But it’s what came next that many are interested in the most. He was sitting on top of the world of cycling when WWII broke out and his career was diverted into conscripted service as a messenger for the Italian fascist dictatorship.
After the 1943 arrest of the Chief Rabbi of Florence, (Nathan Cassuto, sent to Auschwitz and murdered 1945), Bartali began secret work with the Archbishop of Florence, Elia Dalla Costa. They pivoted on his cycling fame to enact anti-fascist heroism. Franciscan friars in the city of Assisi (110 miles from Florence) generated fake documents, which Bartali would then pickup and deliver for the Archbishop.
The BBC tells the story of how the cyclist would say “I’m training” for a simple transit authorization hack to save hundreds of Jewish lives.
Donning his race jersey with his name printed across the back and leaving home with only emergency tools for the bike, he rode thousands of miles from Florence to Genoa and Assisi carrying [identity papers for Jews trying to escape].
Based on this act alone, he is credited for saving the lives of more than 500 people.
For Bartali, his status as a champion cyclist was the ultimate disguise. Whenever he was stopped enroute, he would simply say “I am training”, and no one questioned him further.
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Other than being a courier, Bartali’s champion status allowed him to work with partisans to create a paparazzi scenario that distracted soldiers and guards away from the train carriages so refugees could board and hide until the train reached the free south.
Yet, he kept this life a secret for most of his life after the war. Bartali believed that by talking up his good deeds, he betrayed the people he had helped as it became an act of self-promotion rather than genuine intentions.
Facing punishment of torture and execution, Bartali smuggled documents inside his bike’s hollow frame to defeat fascism.
When Bartali was stopped and searched, he specifically asked that his bicycle not be touched since the different parts were very carefully calibrated to achieve maximum speed.
He also hid a Jewish family in his cellar until Allied forces liberated Italy. He didn’t just convince fascists he was training hard by riding far and fast, he even hauled “weight” trailers behind his bike and right under their noses with people hidden inside.
“Some medals are pinned to your soul, not your jacket,” he said.
After WWII ended, Bartali won the Giro d’Italia again in 1946, and the Tour de France again in 1948, which everyone can see plainly. But he kept his most important rides secret and only recently has been recognized for those victories.
A documentary called “Messenger of Peace” gives even more detail to his amazing story.