I am a big fan of The Tour de France . Gino Bartali, the Italian cycling legend (and subject of this biography) holds the distinction of winning the Tour twice and the record of the longest time span (10 years) between wins.
The authors, Aili and Andres McConnon chronicle Bartali's life - from an impoverished childhood in rural Tuscany to his first triumph in the 1938 Tour de France. As World War II ravaged Europe, Bartali undertook dangerous missions to help those being targeted in Italy, including sheltering a family of Jews and smuggling counterfeit identity documents in the frame of his bicycle. When the Tour resumed after the War, Bartoli came back to win the 1948 Tour de France - this time as the underdog - in an exhilarating performance that helped to heal and inspire his country in the aftermath of the war.
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