Pope Leon XIV will greet the Giro d'Italia cyclists on Sunday, June 1st at 3:30 PM, as they pass through the Vatican City State. This is also in memory of Pope Francis, who had welcomed the proposal presented by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and realized together with the Governorate of the Vatican City State and Athletica Vaticana.

The project for the Giro d'Italia to pass through the Vatican - a "first stage" anticipating the Sports Jubilee scheduled for Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th - was born on October 28, 2021, during the ceremony for awarding Athletica Vaticana the certificate of recognition as an official member of the International Cycling Union. It was presented on April 29th at the Campidoglio by Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

The start of the final stage of the 108th edition of the Giro d'Italia will be at the Caracalla Baths. In a non-competitive mode, the cyclists will enter the Vatican City from Via Paolo VI through the Petriano Entrance. The route inside the Vatican walls is approximately 3 kilometers long: every meter tells a story and suggests spirituality, in an interweaving of art and nature with a varied and unexpected fauna.

The cyclists will pedal next to St. Peter's Basilica and Sacristy and then climb towards the Vatican Gardens, passing in front of the Church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini, the Railway Station, in the Governorate Palace area. They will continue climbing towards the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, the Lourdes Grotto, St. John's Tower, and the heliport. Then they will ride along the walls - along the so-called "Marian route": a true "world tour" made possible by the presence of many images of the Mother of God venerated as patrons in different countries. Opening the "Marian route" is the mosaic of the Mother of Good Counsel, dear to Augustinian spirituality.

The route continues to the Square Garden and the Vatican Museums. With an avenue dedicated to sports, even the street names recall the races wanted by Pope Pius X in the early 20th century. The cyclists will then pedal on Via delle Fondamenta - in the shadow of the Sistine Chapel and next to the basilica's apse - to arrive at Santa Marta Square and exit the Vatican City through the Gate on Perugino's Alley. In Italian territory, the official "start" of the cycling race will be given.

Brief History of Cycling in the Vatican
There is a history lived with a spiritual soul of the people that will accompany the Giro d'Italia athletes - and the entire world of cycling and sports - as they pedal along the roads of the Vatican Gardens.

The article continues with historical references to previous papal interactions with cycling events from 1946 to 2000, highlighting the long-standing relationship between the Vatican and the Giro d'Italia.