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Pope Leo XIV blesses Giro d’Italia riders in Vatican Ceremony

Pope Leo XIV offered his blessing to the Giro d’Italia peloton, presenting the riders as “role models for all the youth in the world,” as the cyclists passed through Vatican City during the 21st and final stage of the race on Sunday.

Riders pedaled at a slow pace through the famous gardens of the world’s smallest state during the neutralized start of the last stage.

Leo XIV was presented with a replica of the iconic pink jersey—the “maglia rosa” worn by the race leader—by Urbano Cairo, owner of RCS Sport, the Giro’s organizing company.

The cyclists stopped to greet the pontiff, and the four wearers of the race’s distinctive jerseys, including race leader Simon Yates and Mexican rider Isaac del Toro, best young rider, dismounted their bikes to shake hands with him.

“Welcome to the Vatican. I’m pleased to greet you on this final stage of the Giro; I hope it will be a beautiful day for everyone,” Pope Leo XIV said in a brief address.

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“You are role models for all the youth of the world—not just in Italy—because cycling is one of the most important sports in the world,” added the first American pope in history, before offering his blessing to the riders.

The Giro previously passed through the Vatican in 1974 and 2000. This year’s route through the Vatican was initially planned as part of the Jubilee celebrations—a holy year held every 25 years when pilgrims from around the globe visit the city—but later became a tribute to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.

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UK prepares court battle to ensure Chelsea sale money supports ukrainian humanitarian aid

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“We are deeply frustrated that so far it has not been possible to reach an agreement with Mr. Abramovich on this matter,” they added. “While the door to negotiations remains open, we are fully prepared to take this to court if necessary, to ensure that the people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these funds as soon as possible.”

Abramovich, who has denied accusations of being a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The oil and gas magnate sold Chelsea in May 2022 to a consortium led by U.S. investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after the British government allowed him to relinquish the club on the condition that he would not personally profit from the transaction.

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The head of the SBU, Vasil Maliuk, personally supervised the operation. Maliuk stated in the release that “the Crimea Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target,” as it was constructed to connect Russia to occupied Ukrainian territory and serves as a “logistical artery for supplying” the Russian military.

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As a pioneer in AI development, he said China initially created a relatively complete AI application ecosystem.

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