Ever wanted to watch a major bike tour pass through a quaint little town like Leiden? On Monday, May 10th, that opportunity presents itself. The 2010 Giro d'Italia, which starts in the Netherlands and runs from Amsterdam to Middelburg, will pass through the city of Leiden between 10am and 2pm. Stop by the Breestraat to get a good look at the professional cycling teams. But don't bring a car - many surrounding roads will be closed down for this special event.

The stage in the Netherlands begins in Amsterdam at the van Gogh museum and continues through Utrecht, Leiden, and onto Middelburg. After a Dutch start the participants head to Italy. For die-hard fans, here's a summary of the route through the Italian countryside:

This Giro covers much of the Italian peninsula, and runs counter-clockwise from its start in Amsterdam to the finish in Verona. The Giro rolls from Piedmont on the northern border with France to the Amalfi Coast, then travels across to Adriatic Coast. From Bitonto, the Giro travels north along the Adriatic and passes through l'Aquila in a commemoration of the earthquake which caused widespread destruction in the city. Then, it's on to Venezia and the Monte Zoncolan near Italy's northern border. The final week lingers in Trentino and Lombardia in the north near Switzerland before the final time trial in Verona. The Giro celebrates the career of Fausto Coppi with a stage in Novi Ligure.