Cycling, the quintessential popular sport, has fatigue and courage in its DNA, and for this reason it has always been appreciated and viewed with attention by the many Pontiffs who have succeeded one another over the years. Pope Francis has often referred to the bicycle and on April 24, 2018, during one of his meditations at Santa Marta, he said: "The balance of the Church is similar to the balance of a bicycle: it is stable and goes well when it is in motion; if you leave it stationary, it falls".

With this reflection, the Pope referred to the bicycle as a sustainable, simple, economical, and ecological means that helps make the air cleaner and reduce traffic congestion. And also to make education, healthcare, and other social services more accessible to the most vulnerable populations. During his pontificate, which began on March 13, 2013, sport has often been present in his speeches and after football, cycling was probably the sport he appreciated the most.

On the occasion of the visit of the Italian Cycling Federation in 2019, the Supreme Pontiff spoke again about the bike, emphasizing how some aspects of cycling, such as climbing a mountain and team spirit, make this sport a fertile metaphor for ecclesiastical communities: the experience of the Church and community life are indeed a journey, a pedaling through the world's paths that involves the entire people of God.

Many athletes have visited the Vatican to pay homage to Pope Francis, and among these were many famous cyclists. It was January 24, 2018, when three-time world champion Peter Sagan went to St. Peter's, donating to the pontiff a Specialized bike in Vatican colors and the world champion jersey dedicated to him. Two years later, in June 2020, the Pontiff participated in the charity auction "We Run Together - Supporting our Team" by auctioning the bike donated by Sagan, and the proceeds, 30,000 euros, went to the public health of Bergamo and Brescia to support the areas most affected by the Coronavirus.

On June 16, 2021, Giro d'Italia winner Egan Bernal decided to go to St. Peter's Square and give the Pope his bike and the pink jersey. "It was a unique experience. I grew up in a Catholic family. It was the most important experience of my life, more important than the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia," the Colombian champion had declared. "I greeted him and then the Pope started joking. He asked me how many coffees I drink before getting on the bike".

On October 28, 2021, there was then the meeting with Athletica Vaticana and UCI President David Lappartient, who came to St. Peter's to deliver the official document by which the Vatican sports association became an official member of the International Cycling Union. On that occasion, Pope Bergoglio wanted to draw a parallel between what happens during a cycling race and what Christian life should be. The Pontiff explained how cyclists naturally slow down to bring back into the group the teammates left behind, due to a fall or a breakdown. A style, according to Pope Francis, that should apply in the daily lives of women and men, because it was necessary to remember that everyone is brothers.

History reminds us that many popes have opened their doors to cycling. There are images of Eddy Merckx and Felice Gimondi with Paul VI and then Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, who, as everyone knows, had a special relationship with Pope Pius XII, to the point of risking his life to save Jews during the war.

In 1909, the first Giro d'Italia was organized with the blessing of Pius X, and then Benedict XV did the same a few years later. On June 3, 1963, while the Giro d'Italia was taking place, the news of John XXIII's death arrived. The stage the next day was disputed in a somber atmosphere without awards. The overall leader Franco Balmamion participated in the following days with a black armband as a sign of mourning.

On May 30, 1964, Paul VI met the Giro d'Italia cyclists on the day they were passing through the Capital, and he also often liked to associate the harshness and nobility of sport with religious life. "The Church," said Pope Montini, "sees sport as a gymnastics of the limbs and a gymnastics of the spirit". In 1974, the fifty-seventh edition of the Giro d'Italia started from Vatican City. In the great Jubilee of 2000, the pink race started from Rome and the first stage closed in St. Peter's Square. Welcoming the riders was one of the most beloved Pontiffs of all time, John Paul II, who addressing the cyclists on May 12 defined cycling as one of the most significant vehicles of high values and humanity.

Then there is Benedict XVI, the German Pope, who had a bike as a boy and often in his writings, there are images of when his thoughts ran through the North Tyrol, pedaling in the midst of nature. These are just some of the memories that demonstrate the link between sport and the Vatican and how cycling, in its simplicity and with its effort, has always been seen as a means capable of illuminating the lives of men.