Once a skinny and weak child, Italian Gino Bartali rose to become a Tour de France champion and one of cycling's greatest stars.

But all that seemed unimportant when his country came under the grip of a brutal dictator and entered World War II on the side of Nazi Germany.

Bartali might have appeared a mere bystander to the harassment and hatred directed toward Italy's Jewish people, but secretly he accepted a role in a dangerous plan to help them.

Putting his own life at risk, Bartali used his speed and endurance on a bike to deliver documents that Jewish people needed to help them escape harm.

His inspiring story reveals how one person could make a difference against violence and prejudice during the time of the Holocaust.