Pope Leo XIV blesses cyclists competing in the Giro d’Italia as final stage enters Vatican gardens

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Leo XIV blessed the more than 150 cyclists competing in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday as the three-week race's final stage began with an unprecedented ride through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter's Basilica.

After entering the Vatican, overall race leader Simon Yates and leaders of the other classifications got off their bikes and walked forward to shake hands with the pope, who was presented with a replica of the leader's pink jersey.

"You are role models for young people all over the world," Leo told the peloton. "May God bless all of you on this last part of the Giro d'Italia. Congratulations to all of you. May you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican. You are always welcome by the church, which represents God's love for all people."

In an off-script moment, Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, the 2014 Giro champion, stopped to greet the pope after all of the other riders had already moved on.

While popes have blessed the Giro riders before and the race has previously passed through or next to St. Peter's Square, this marked the first time that the route took the peloton on a three-kilometer (nearly two-mile) route inside the Vatican walls.

Bringing the race inside the Vatican was originally intended as an homage to Pope Francis during the 2025 Holy Year but after Francis died, Leo - the first American pope - decided to honor the event in Francis' memory.

The cyclists entered the Vatican through the Petriano gate to the left of St. Peter's, rode around the basilica and then climbed up toward the gardens before exiting near the Santa Marta hotel at the Perugino gate.

Santa Marta was where Francis lived.

The passage through the Vatican occurred during the non-competitive neutralized period before the stage. The official start was given after the riders exited the narrow Perugino gate.

British rider Yates could cruise to the title with an advantage of nearly four minutes over Isaac Del Toro of Mexico.

The 143-kilometer (89-mile) final stage concluded with a circuit of eight laps through downtown Rome and finished next to the Circus Maximus.

It's the third time since Leo was elected last month that he has met with the sports world.

Two weeks ago, Leo held a private audience with top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner. Then last week, he welcomed the players and staff of Italian soccer champion Napoli to the Vatican.