As has become tradition in recent years, it is Rome that welcomes the closing parade of the Giro d'Italia: 131 kilometers to be covered in the afternoon in the capital, skirting the sea and then returning to the heart of the Eternal City.

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The final stage is divided into two parts: the approach, from the start in Rome-EUR, until the first passage across the finish line reaches the coast and then Ostia, then returns to the starting area and subsequently the final circuit (8 laps) within the Capital. The 9.5 km circuit develops entirely along city streets (wide and sometimes with some traffic dividers). Brief climbs and long straightaways alternate, connected by sometimes challenging curves. The road surface is predominantly asphalt with some short sections of cobblestones. The final kilometers feature only slight changes in direction. The final straight of 350 m on asphalt 8 m wide, at the midpoint of the last kilometer the road gradient is 5%.

THE ROADS OF THE GIRO. For the fourth consecutive year, Rome welcomes the grand finale of the Giro d'Italia. A further recognition of the beauty of the Eternal City, increasingly firmly embraced by professional cycling. The race starts in the late afternoon, so there is time to visit at least some of the wonders that await visitors to the capital.

Starting with the Basilica of St. Peter, the religious heart of the city, and the adjacent Vatican Museums with their invaluable collection of artistic treasures and, above all, the Sistine Chapel. To reach St. Peter's, you can also use the recent Monte Ciocci-San Pietro cycle-pedestrian path, which allows you to cross in absolute relaxation and safety an area of the city that is particularly congested with traffic.

Then you pleasantly let yourself be overwhelmed by the beauties of the Capital. Which are many, very many. It's difficult to choose where to start. The Colosseum is the superstar of archaeological Rome, you cannot help but know it before visiting the Imperial Forums, a unique architectural complex in the world composed of a series of monumental buildings and squares, the center of political activity in ancient Rome, built between 46 B.C. and 113 A.D.

Just after come the Baths of Caracalla, one of the largest and best-preserved thermal complexes of antiquity, built on the Piccolo Aventino between 212 and 216 A.D., in an area adjacent to the initial stretch of the Appian Way. For the importance of its monuments, the latter was already defined in antiquity as the Regina Viarum. You can walk or bike along it, admiring some of the most notable monuments of Ancient Rome including the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, the catacombs of San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Domitilla, the Villa dei Quintili and the circular Tomb of Casal Rotondo.

Among the places that should not be missed by those arriving in Rome for the first time stands out the Trevi Fountain, a Baroque masterpiece by Nicola Salvi. Not far away is Piazza di Spagna, with its famous Spanish Steps, one of the most elegant places in the city, surrounded by exclusive boutiques and historic cafés. A must-see stop is also Piazza Navona with the spectacular Fountain of the Four Rivers, a work by Bernini, at its center.

And how can we forget Castel Sant'Angelo, one of the most famous and visited monuments in Rome, also grazed by the riders? From its terraces or from the openings along the external walkways, you can enjoy one of the most suggestive panoramas of the capital.

Rome is not just monuments, but also green spaces of great beauty. Villa Borghese, the most famous park in the city, is the ideal place for a walk among gardens, fountains and sculptures. Within it is the Borghese Gallery, one of the most prestigious museums in the world, which houses works by Caravaggio, Raphael, Bernini and Titian.

Less well-known, but of great importance, is the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica, the second largest in Italy (after Pompeii), which stands near the race route that the riders will face before entering the final circuit. This could be the ideal destination for those who want to discover an artistic gem and at the same time watch the race pass without immersing themselves in the city's whirlwind. But in the Eternal City, whatever road you take is always the right one.