Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

While those of us unable to obtain a “pirated” version (thanks Fritz) of the Marco Pantani movie will have to wait for some other way of seeing the new Marco Pantani movie. There is a recent movie made by RAI that chronicles another great Italian Champion Gino Bartali.

The movie is titled: Gino Bartali – L’intramontabile (IMDB link) and follows Gino Bartali’s life as one of the great Italian Cycling Champions of the 40s and 50s. Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi were the two main Italian protagonists of the 40s and 50s. The cyclist personal lives were followed closely since they were on the same level as movie stars in Italy.

Bartali was known the the more religious and devout Champion when compared to Fausto Coppi who was a little more freewheeling. Bartali had the right wing support while Coppi had the left. These two had a tremendous rivalry that helped inspire Italy during the post World War II era.

Bartali’s fame and influence was so great that he even prevented a civil war from breaking out in Italy when he won the Tour de France in 1948 (read more about it) which was a full ten years after his previous Tour win.

Lying in bed that night, the telephone rang for Bartali. A man of iron discipline, Bartali did not take such calls lightly. On the other end of the line was Alcide de Gaspari, a Deputy in the Italian Christian Democratic Party.

– “Gino”, he said, sounding worried, “we need you”.

Alcide seemed nervous: a few days earlier, Palmiro Togliatti, Secretary of the Communist Party had been wounded in a shooting, and Italy was on the edge of widespread civil insurrection, perhaps even a civil war.

– “Gino, we need you”
– “But what can I do? I’m here to race the next stage of the Tour de France, not to come home to Italy”
– “Exactly”, said de Gaspari. “You can do a lot by winning a stage. If you win it, it will create a diversion. It will motivate people towards happier feelings. A distraction. Believe me – we need it.”

Gino pondered what his friend had said. Earlier in the race his wife had telephoned him from Florence, after the assassination attempt on Togliatti. She had sounded deeply worried.

– “Listen”, replied Bartali. “I will do even better than that. I will win the whole race.”

Even my Grandmother still raves about the times when she would see Coppi and Bartali race near our hometown in Calabria.

The main actor does not resemble Bartali in this film which is odd since RAI were able to get a Pantani look alike and a Fausto Coppi look alike for their respective movies.

Watch the movie through RAIClick – of course it is in Italian.