Google Doodle honours champion road cyclist Gino Bartali on 104th birthday

Started competitive cycling at age 13, he won more than 180 races he debuted in the professional circuit in 1935.

Born on July 18th, 1914 in a house of via Chiantigiana at Ponte A Ema, in the province of Bagno a Ripoli, Gino Bartali was a local hero throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

He also concealed documents in his bike’s handlebars, sometimes delivering photographs of Jews who needed forged identity cards to save their lives.

He continued this work even after being questioned and threatened by Mussolini’s government agents.

His father, Torello, from Vallecchio, near Castelfiorentino, and his mother Giulia Sizzi, from Vellore, near Vicchio, were married in 1908 and decided to move at Cascine del Riccio where her daughters Anita and Natalina were born, then they decided to live in Ponte A Ema.

After finishing the sixth grade,  he became the apprentice of a small bike shop ruled by Oscar Casamonti, who was also his neighbour, where he met the most famous cyclists of the time and where his passion for cycling began.

He married Adrian Bani on November 14th, 1940 and has three kids: Andrea, Luigi, and Bianca Maria. During his career, he received a wide number of trophies.

Having started competitive cycling at age 13, he won more than 180 races he debuted in the professional circuit in 1935 as part of the Fratelli Ghelfi's team, Frejus, with Giuseppe Martano as captain and another Tuscan as a member: Mario Cipriani. Bartali draws the attention very soon.

He became the protagonist of the Milano-Sanremo circuit and the organizers offered him a special prize of 500 lire, but he protested for his 4th place behind Olmo, Guerra, and Cipriani.