While we're talking about Coppi and Bartali at the 1949 TdF, I'd like to recommend a neat little book I'm reading:
The Giro D'Italia: Coppi Vs. Bartali at the 1949 Tour of Italy Dino Buzatti (translated to English) Velo Press ISBN 188473751X
Aldo Ross has mentioned it before. The author reminds me a bit of Italo Calvino, but perhaps that's an artifact of the way Italian translates to English. He's not a cycling connoisseur, but he writes about the race poetically and captures the feel of the time and the race. He is passionate about his subject. You can feel the significance of the recent war, the awe for Coppi and Bartali, the culture, the countryside. His portraits of the riders are evocative, and while he doesn't get into technical specifics, the bikes get good coverage as well.
Now I gotta build that Protar Bartali ("Milano S.Remo 1950") kit. :)
Morgan "tifoso" Fletcher
Oakland, CA