The link doesn't work, so here is the whole article from the
www.telegraph.co.uk :
Champion cyclist helped Jews flee Nazis
By Bruce Johnston in Rome
(Filed: 05/04/2003)
An Italian cycling champion helped to save "at least 800 Jews" from the Nazis, by pedalling around Italy delivering secret papers to nuns, priests, bishops and friars who formed part of a wartime escape network, new research shows.
When the Tuscan cyclist Gino Bartali died in May 2000, aged 86, he had already been a national legend for decades. During a spectacular career, he won 186 of the 836 races he contended, including the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, and the Giro d'Italia on three occasions, in 1936, 1937 and 1946.
But yesterday the champion from Florence was being hailed in Italy's press as Tuscany's "cycling Oskar Schindler". Commentators in Israel said Bartali was an unknown who deserved Israel's thanks. "We are indebted to you, Bartali. You are one of the true 'Just among Nations'."
According to research by Tuscany's regional government, in 1943-44 Bartali worked as a messenger for a secret network run by Giorgio Nissim, a Jewish accountant from Pisa, credited with saving 800 Jews from Nazi persecution. Bartali delivered documents that helped create false identity papers.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
Crisanto 