Once a skinny and weak child, Gino Bartali rose to become a Tour de France champion and one of cycling's greatest stars. But all that seemed unimportant when his country came under the grip of a brutal dictator and entered World War II on the side of Nazi Germany.

Bartali might have appeared a mere bystander to the harassment and hatred directed toward Italy’s Jewish people, but secretly he accepted a role in a dangerous plan to help them.

Putting his own life at risk, Bartali used his speed and endurance on a bike to deliver documents Jewish people needed to escape harm. His inspiring story reveals how one person could make a difference against violence and prejudice during the time of the Holocaust.---from the publisher

40 pages                                            978-1684460632                       Ages 9-12

Keywords:  bravery, courage, Holocaust, helping others, prejudice, racism, cycling, bicycles, risk, role of the individual, power of the individual, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, history, biography, heroes, Jewish. athlete, sports, Social Studies Curriculum

Another cycling hero story: Emmanuel's Dream:  The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah