Gino Bartali, Tour de France 1949, print of original illustration by Chris Pasche. Gino Bartali, became a national hero and helped unite Italy during a period of political upheaval when he won the 1948 Tour de France 10 years after he had first won cycling’s premier event. The “Iron Man of Tuscany” won more than 180 other races, including the Giro d’Italia (three times), the Milan–San Remo race (four times), the Tour of Switzerland (twice), the Tour of Lombardy (three times), and the Italian national championships (four times). Until recently, few knew that he risked his own life and his family s lives by helping to save hundreds of Jews during World War II. With his cycling career as a cover, Bartali cycled thousands of kilometres between cities as far apart as Florence, Lucca, Genoa, Assisi, and the Vatican in Rome. Hidden in the frame of his bike were falsified identity cards and other secret documents used by those seeking refuge from other European countries