Marie Mahé, Media365: published on Saturday June 29, 2024 at 1:20 p.m.
This Saturday began the 2024 edition of the Tour de France. The first stage, which takes place in Italy, pays tribute to Gino Bartali.
Let’s go for the 2024 edition of the Tour de France. This Saturday, June 29, the 176 riders in the peloton set off to compete in the first stage. The latter takes place in Italy, between Florence and Rimini, and it pays homage to one of the country’s legends, namely Gino “the Pious” Bartali, born in the village of Ponte A Ema in 1914, where the peloton will pass, and died in Florence in 2000. In addition to his sporting exploits, notably two Tours de France (1938, 1948) and three Tours d’Italia (1936, 1937, 1946), he distinguished himself during the Second World War. , after having transported false papers, in several Italian regions, and saving numerous Jews. A “discreet heroism”, to the extent that Bartali kept it secret until the end of his life.
A book on Bartali republished
Italian writer Alberto Toscano took advantage of this new edition of the Tour de France to republish his book “A bicycle against Nazi barbarity” in which he provides two new testimonies about the heroic actions undertaken by Bartali during the Second World War. This book begins as follows: “There are times when sport makes history and there are athletes who win much more than medals.” Concerning the revelation of the Italian’s actions, Alberto Toscano explains, in comments relayed by Ouest-France: “A businessman sent me a letter to tell me the story of his friendship with Bartali. Their friendship dates back to the period 1980-1990 when he was in Italy at the head of an insurance company for which Andrea Bartali, the champion’s eldest son, worked. The businessman, who hosted Gino in France on several occasions, told me that he had a very private and personal confidence from him. Gino told him about “secret missions” he carried out on bicycles during the war, but never about what he did to save Jews in danger.”
