ROME (AP) 鈥 It could very well be the biggest sporting event ever held inside the walls of the Vatican.
The will pay homage to the late by passing through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica and in front of the Santa Marta hotel 鈥 where Francis lived 鈥 during the final stage of the cycling race on June 1.
More than 150 cyclists will pedal for three kilometers (nearly two miles) through an area of the Vatican rarely seen by the general public and live TV images will broadcast the scenes around the world.
鈥淭he original idea was to have Francis signal the start of the last stage to promote the Vatican and the Eternal City in ,鈥 Giro director Mauro Vegni told The Associated Press on Tuesday following a presentation of the 21st stage.
Francis, however, died last week at 88.
鈥淲e wanted to go right up to Casa Santa Marta because we knew the pope was aging, so we thought he could come down and offer a blessing to start the final stage. Then unfortunately things turned out differently. But it will remain an homage to Francis,鈥 Vegni added.
By June, there should be a new pope, with slated to start May 7.
Bishop Paul Tighe, the No. 2 in the Vatican鈥檚 culture and education ministry, said hosting the Giro highlights 鈥渢hat there is kind of an interest in the Church in the whole reality of sport.
鈥淚f you think about it, on any given Sunday, there will be as many people watching sports as maybe participating in religious functions. And sometimes the same people,鈥 Tighe added. 鈥淪o this is a way of saying that this is the human reality that celebrates human achievements. That is important for us as a church."
The cyclists will enter the Vatican through the Petriano gate to the left of St. Peter鈥檚, ride around the basilica and then climb up toward the gardens before exiting near Santa Marta at the Perugino gate.
The passage through the Vatican will be during the neutralized period before the stage. The official start will then begin after the riders exit the narrow Perugino gate. The official start can鈥檛 take place inside the Vatican because it would raise the likelihood of crashes.
While 184 cyclists divided into 23 teams of eight riders each will start the Giro on May 9 鈥 with for the first time 鈥 there will likely be 20 to 30 riders who don鈥檛 make it to the final stage.
The Giro has been to the Vatican before
In 1974, the Giro started in the Vatican and in the 2000 Holy Year, the opening prologue finished in St. Peter鈥檚 Square. The race has also passed by St. Peter's multiple times, including the last two years.
But never before has the race gone so far into Vatican City like it will this year 鈥 which has called for extraordinary negotiations between race organizers and the Holy See.
Team cars covered with sponsors鈥 labels will not be allowed inside the Vatican. So organizers will provide one pool car of mechanics in case any of the riders puncture their tires or have other issues inside the walls.
The usual array of photographers riding on motorcycles who document the race will be reduced and TV images will be produced by the Vatican鈥檚 own media team and race organizers. Discussions are ongoing over whether aerial TV coverage provided by helicopters or drones will be permitted in what is usually heavily protected air space.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a difficult negotiation,鈥 Tigue said, 鈥淏ut it was the enthusiasm of the pope for the project that opened doors. Otherwise, it would have been very easy to say, 鈥業t鈥檚 impossible. It can鈥檛 be done.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to be a competitive moment. It鈥檚 more a moment symbolically that they鈥檙e there,鈥 Tigue added. 鈥淎nd then, by coincidence, the area where they鈥檙e up in the higher end of the gardens is an area where there are all these statues of our Lady from all over the world, from various sanctuaries, so in a sense it鈥檚 a reminder of the international dimension of sport and the international dimension of faith.鈥
After leaving the Vatican, the final Giro stage follows a 143-kilometer route (89-mile) concluding with a circuit of eight laps through downtown Rome and the finish next to the Colosseum.
The Vatican has cycling and track teams
The Vatican has expanded its presence in the sports world in recent years, in cycling in particular: at the cycling world championships the last three years.
and often hailed sports as a way to promote solidarity and inclusion, especially for young people.
In 2019, featuring Swiss Guards, priests and nuns to compete in international events.
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