Gino Bartali: A True Hero

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Gino Bartali is credited with saving the lives of more than eight hundred Jewish people during World War II. Although he is viewed as a hero for his actions, he told his son that he does not deserve honor for taking a stand against evil. Taking a stand is when a person is unwilling to just let life happen when they believe that what is happening is wrong. Gino Bartali took a stand against the persecution of the Jewish people. Due to his fame and success as a cyclist, he had a unique opportunity to transport paperwork that allowed hundreds of Jewish people to escape out of Italy during the war. By taking a stand in history, Mr. Bartali not only saved lives, he did what he knew to be right.
Gino Bartali, nicknamed Gino the Pious, was born in 1914 into the humble home of Torello and Giullia Bartali. The Bartali Family was very religious family. They lived just outside of Florence, Italy, in a town called Ponte a Ema. Gino was small for his age …show more content…

Gino started competitive racing in his teen years. (Mcconnan 31). He and his younger brother, Giulio, dominated the biking leagues in Italy. Giulio died in a biking accident in 1936. The death of his brother discouraged Gino from wanting to keep racing. His parents did not want him to pursue biking as a career any more. In 1937, he was persuaded to return to cycling and continued to win races (Mcconnan 40-42). In 1938, Gino Bartali won the Tour de France.The race was canceled during World War II. After the end of the war, Gino Bartali won the 1948 Tour de France with an amazing ten year gap from his first win (andrew). The tour de france is a huge race place over the summer. It goes around france and covers over 2000 miles. The tour is over twenty three days with twenty one stages so the rides have two days to rest. The race was started in 1903.(“What) The Italian government greatly supported Gino in his