Gino Bartali Photo Gallery
Back to photo gallery rider list
Gino Bartali (July 18, 1914–May 5, 2000) was one of cycling's greatest riders. He won the Giro d'Italia three times and the Tour de France twice. In addition, he won Milano–San Remo four times and the Giro di Lombardia twice. In the Tour he holds two records of note. His second win in 1948 came ten years after his first victory in the Tour, the longest gap between first and last Tour wins. In the 1948 Tour he won three mountain stages in a row, to the best of my knowledge, a still-unequaled exploit.
In his first year as a pro, 1935, he was Champion of Italy and Giro d'Italia King of the Mountains. For years he was Italy's outstanding rider when Italy's favorite sport was bicycle racing. He was a great champion in an era of champions.
But he wasn't without faults. In stage races he could be maddeningly inattentive and tactically sloppy and fall far behind. His physical gifts were so extraordinary, he could close seemingly insurmountable gaps. In the 1948 Tour he was more than 20 minutes behind leader Louison Bobet and by the end he was more than 26 minutes ahead of second-place Briek Schotte.
His career was interrupted by the second world war, which took many of his best years. During the war, at great personal risk, he worked for the Italian Resistance, ferrying documents on his bike to help Jews escape Italy. He hid one Jewish family in the basement of a house he owned.
Bartali's career was tormented and enlivened by his rivalry with Fausto Coppi. The excitement generated by the competition between the two riders lifted both riders' careers. Coppi, the more cerebral rider, repeatedly took advantage of Bartali's mental lapses. After Bartali retired in 1954 the two become good friends.
Major victories:
1935: Champion of Italy, Tour of the Basque Country, Coppa Bernocchi, Giro d'Italia KOM
1936: Giro d'Italia GC & KOM, Giro di Lombardia
1937: Champion of Italy, Giro d'Italia GC, Giro del Piemonte
1938: Tour de France GC & KOM
1939: Milano-San Remo, Giro di Toscana, Giro d'Italia KOM
1940: Champion of Italy, Giro d'Italia KOM, Giro di Lombardia
1946: Giro d'Italia GC & KOM, Tour of Switzerland
1947: Milano-San Remo, Giro d'Italia KOM, Tour of Switzerland GC & KOM
1948: Championship of Zurich, Giro di Toscana, Giro d'Italia KOM, Tour de France GC & KOM
1949: Tour de Romandie
1950: Milano-San Remo
1952: Champion of Italy
Professional Teams:
1935-1948: Legnano
1946-1948: Tebag
1949-1950: Bartali-Gardiol
1951: Bartali-Ursus
1952: Tebag
1952-1953: Bartali
1954: Bartali-Brooklin
Nicknames: Ginettacio, Il Vecchio (the Old Man), Gino the Pious, The Man of Iron
Photos:
The young phenom in the 1935 Giro d'Italia. Giuseppe Martano (second overall) talks on the phone while a young Gino Bartali looks at the camera.
1935 Giro d'Italia: Giuseppe Olmo leads Vasco Bergamaschi (overall winner) and Gino Bartali
1936 Giro d'Italia: Gino Bartali in the Pink Jersey
Bartali has won the 1936 Giro d'Italia
1937 Giro d'Italia: Gino Bartali with his team. He is wearing the maglia rosa and is standing to the right of the man with coveralls.
1937 Giro d'Italia: Bartali on a motorcycle
1938 Tour de France: Gino Bartali is first over the Col de Vars in the 14th stage.
Mario Vicino leads Gino Bartali over the Galibier in stage 15 of the 1938 Tour de France
1939 Giro d'Italia: Gino Bartali alone on the Ghisallo
1940 Giro d'Italia: Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi (reading)
1940 Giro: Bartali leads Coppi on a break.
Fausto Coppi leads Vito Ortelli, Gino Bartali and Aldo Ronconi up the Passo Rolle in the 1946 Giro d'Italia
Gino Bartali wins the 1946 Giro d'Italia
Bartali wears pink in the 1947 Giro d'Italia
1948 Tour de France, stage 16: Bartali attacks 100 meters from the crest of the Vue.
Gino Bartali wins the 1948 Tour de France.
1949 Tour de France, stage 16: Coppi leads Bartali on the Izoard.
Bartali leads Jean Robic and Hugo Koblet up the Passo Pordoi in the 1950 Giro.
Italy's three great postwar riders. From left: Fiorenzo Magni, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi
An undated photo, Michel Danelli (left), Franco Bitossi (center) and Bartali
Gino Bartali and Greg LeMond at the start of stage 3 of the 1991 Giro d'Italia
Bartali with Greg LeMond after stage 14 of the 1993 Giro d'Italia.