In a tribute to Pope Francis and his message of hope for the Jubilee Year, elite cyclists rode through Vatican City and its gardens before starting the last stage of the Giro d'Italia in Rome.

The 159 cyclists from 29 countries whooshed past Swiss Guards and Vatican police at the gates to the tiny Vatican City State and made a short pit stop in the sunny square dedicated to the Roman Protomartyrs next to the sacristy of St. Peter’s Basilica June 1.

Accompanied by Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist Raffaella Petrini, president of the office governing Vatican City State, Pope Leo XIV greeted the special guests and shook hands with the top-ranking cyclist in each of the grand tour's four classifications.

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"It is a pleasure to be able to greet you on this last stage of the Giro d'Italia," the pope told the athletes in Italian. "I hope it is truly a beautiful day for all of you."

"Know that you are role models for young people all over the world," especially as the Giro d'Italia is loved by many people, and not just in Italy, he said.

"Cycling is so important, as is sport in general," said the pope, who is a fan of American baseball and was an amateur tennis player.

"I hope that as you have learned to take care of the body, may your spirit also always be blessed," he said, encouraging them to always "be attentive to the whole human being: body, mind, heart and spirit."

Speaking in English, he prayed that God would bless them on the final stage of the race.

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"Congratulations to all of you, and may you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican, you are always welcomed by the church, which represents God’s love for all people," he said, conferring his blessings.

As the riders slowly maneuvered through the narrow passageways toward the Vatican Gardens, Nairo Quintana, a Colombian professional cyclist who has won two Grand Tours and several other major races, approached the pope to shake his hand and spend a few moments speaking with him.

The non-competitive three-kilometer course inside the Vatican City walls featured a few long inclines, many sharp turns and the cacophonous squawk of parrots along roads lined with greenery, shrines and statues, and devoid of cheering fans.

The idea to bring the Giro d'Italia inside Vatican City was pitched in 2021 when Athletica Vaticana -- the Vatican's sports association -- became an official member of the International Cycling Union; it was the first sports federation from Vatican City to gain official membership of a world governing body, followed by Vatican Taekwondo and Vatican Padel, which are also now members of their sports' respective international federations.

The project, officially presented by Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, to Rome's City Hall April 29, 2025, was to honor Pope Francis, who supported the initiative, and to be a run-up to the Jubilee of Sport June 14-15, according to the Giro d'Italia website.

"The passage through the Vatican Gardens will not be a 'tourist ride' but a 'symbolic journey,' traveling the Marian Way, where images of the Virgin Mary from all over the world are present" to offer "a small tour of the world" and "celebrate the Jubilee of Hope," Bishop Tighe said at the project's announcement in April, according to giroditalia.it.

It was not the first time Giro d'Italia cyclists made their way into Vatican City.

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St. Paul VI flourished the starting flag for the start of the first stage of the Tour of Italy in 1974 from the Vatican's St. Damasus courtyard, and Pope Pius XII welcomed riders in the same courtyard in 1946 before they left for the ninth stage from Rome to Perugia.

The winner of the 2025 Giro d'Italia was Simon Yates from Great Britain who secured the coveted pink jersey on the penultimate stage, beating Mexican cyclist, Isaac Del Toro, who won the young rider classification at the Giro d'Italia and finished second overall.