Vatican and cycling, 2

During Pope John Paul II’s papacy, doping in cycling competition had become widespread, thus putting the sport in a bad light.   In 1989, a professional cycling team had an audience with JPII whose riders were wearing jerseys with the slogan “No to Abortion”.

A sportsman and amateur cyclist himself, JPII suggested to Ivano Fanini, a director of an Italian cycling team to name his crew “Amore e Vita” (Love and Life) because sports are a powerful affirmation of these two Catholic principles.

A devout Catholic, Fanini thus named his team according to JPII’s suggestion.  The team stood out during those years despite the controversies surrounding cycling.  JPII met with Fanini several times.

Fanini went further by adorning their jerseys with a pro-life message for the entire season.  The team also gave chances to cyclists who have been banned for doping and are usually the fall guys in the drug corrupted sport. 

Amore e Vita proposes to forgive once the ban has been served and team spots were offered to David Millar and Jesus Manzano after their doping admissions.  Millar became an anti-doping advocate while Manzano was famous for squealing of systematic doping within his cycling team

Although not among the best teams in the pro cycling circuit, Amore e Vita still exists, demonstrating the fighting spirit that endeared them to the public.  Their bikes feature a crucifix on the handlebar.

After Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, cycling lied low.   Pope Benedict XVI was a Formula 1 fan and Pope Francis, being from Argentina, prefers football.

In his first papal encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praise Be to You), Pope Francis focused on the care of creation as a central moral obligation which challenges us to be proactive in the protection of the environment.  He said cycling limits excessive and polluting energy consumption of hydrocarbons while allowing ease of movement in urban areas.

Former pro cyclist and 3-time world champion Peter Sagan of Slovenia was impressed with the encyclical that in 2018, he presented Pope Francis with a Specialized bike painted in the Vatican colors of yellow and white with the Vatican’s coat of arms on the down tube.

The bike was auctioned off two years later with the proceeds going towards supporting medical staff at hospitals affected during the COVID 19 pandemic.