Lion Man: Gino Bartali - The War Years

Gino Bartali’s legacy endures far beyond his three Giro d’Italia and two Tour de France victories. He was a true hero of cycling, but it was only after his death that it became known that he was also a genuine war hero. He rarely spoke about the sacrifice he had made, and very few people knew that he had smuggled fake identity papers for Italian Jews in his bicycle frame. During his daily "training rides" on the gravel roads between Florence and Assisi, he repeatedly put himself in danger.