[4] [5] Shortly before the war in Italy on 10 June 1940, Magni was recruited to serve as a gunner at the 19th Regiment of Florence, although he had requested to become a bersagliere, while being licensed to dispute a race, its battalion was embarked for Albania, but the ship, where he should have been on board, also sank without leaving survivors.

After the armistice of 8 September 1943 he was recalled to serve the newborn Italian Social Republic and, in the Voluntary Military Forces of National Security, he was in charge of the railway control at the side of the carabinieri in Vaiano, his country of birth.

[citation needed] In January 1944 Magni's battalion, together with carabinieri, men of the Muti Legion and the Carita' Band, was involved in a violent confrontation with the local partisans, giving rise to the Battle of Valibona, with deaths on both sides.

When Magni arrived the fights were already over, but later on he would be charged with numerous accusations, including the killing of Lanciotto Ballerini, the band leader.

[6] In 1951, at the peak of his cycling career, Magni started working for Moto Guzzi, and two years later began selling cars with Lancia.

"[10] In the 1956 Giro d’Italia, stage 12, Fiorenzo Magni famously broke his left clavicle and still managed to finish second overall.

To compensate for his inability to apply force with his left arm, he raced while holding a piece of rubber inner tube attached to his handlebar between his teeth for extra leverage.

Since his injury prevented him from effectively braking and steering with his left hand, the next day (Modena-Rapallo), Magni crashed again after hitting a ditch by the road during a descent on stage 16.

[citation needed] When asked what it was like to ride against Coppi and Bartali, Magni replied: "In life, defeats are more likely to happen than wins.