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The sport of cycling claims the most awe-inspiring backdrops. Athletes who earn spots in professional competitions such as the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse pedal hundreds of miles through some of the most beautiful landscapes this world has to offer—complete with snow-capped mountains, architecturally preserved coastal cities, brightly lit fields of sunflowers and more. Though cyclists only focus their eyes on the road ahead, tuned-in audiences can witness every sweeping view. Below, check out the most gorgeous plotted courses of all.

Giro d'Italia

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In this stunning image of Maiori, Italy, cyclists swoosh around a mountainous curve on the Amalfi coast—a region known for its beautiful vineyards, picturesque villas and historic architecture. The stretch was part of Stage Four of the 2007 race, which ran from Salerno to Montevergine di Mercogliano. Photo Credit: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images

Tour de France

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During Stage Three of the 2009 Tour de France, cyclists traveled along this length of road in Marseille—the second-largest city in the country as well as the largest commercial port located on France's Mediterranean coast. The riders head toward La Grande-Motte, a popular seaside resort and port built in the 1960s and '70s, known for its uniformly built architecture, much of which is in the shape of a pyramid. Photo Credit: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Tour de Romandie

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Cyclists climb through this stretch of vineyards in the old Romandie region, which is in the French-speaking area of Switzerland. During Stage Four of this 2008 race, a 79.3-mile loop led cyclists around Sion—the capital of Valais, known for its military and civilian airfields—and into the municipality of Leytron. Photo Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

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The photo above shows the peloton, or main pack of cyclists, passing through Col de la Croix de Fer—a high mountain pass in the French Alps—during Stage Seven of the 61st Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. This annual eight-stage road race attracts many cyclists who use the competition as training for the Tour de France, which takes place just a month later. Photo Credit: Patrick Hertzog/AFP/Getty Images

Tour de Suisse

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During the sixth stage of the 70th Tour de Suisse—a cycling race throughout Switzerland—the pack rode through the mountains from Fiesch to La Punt, a tiny town in the valley of the Swiss Alps. La Punt sits at the foot of the Albula Pass, which follows the Inn River and is protected by high picturesque mountains on all sides. Photo Credit: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images

Tour Down Under

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In Stage Five of the six-day 2009 Tour Down Under—a cycling road race held in and around Adelaide, Australia—the peloton was captured climbing a hill on its way to McLaren Vale, a near-200-year-old wine region in the southern part of the country. While Adelaide is cosmopolitan in nature, its surrounding coastal cities, including the vacation destination Fleurieu Peninsula, are famed for their gorgeous beaches and untouched wildlife. Photo Credit: Tony Lewis/Getty Images

Amgen Tour of California

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On February 21, 2008, team Astana led the main pack of cyclists across the Bixby Bridge—one of the 10 highest single-span bridges in the world. Stretched across a canyon over the Pacific Coast Highway, this breathtaking leg of road occured during Stage Four, which ran from Seaside to San Luis Obispo. Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Tour of Ireland

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During the fourth stage on the 57th Tour of Ireland, which had a plotted route from Cahirciveen to Killorglin, the front group of breakaway riders glided along the north side of the Dingle Peninsula. Situated on the country's most westerly point amongst rolling green hills, the peninsula is the setting for numerous prehistoric archaeological monuments that are remarkably preserved due to its remote location. Photo Credit: Stephen McMahon/CyclingNews.com

Tour of Qatar

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On February 8, 2009, the first ever Ladies Tour of Qatar started in the capital city, Doha, at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art, heading toward the Doha Shafallah. The museum, shown in the image above, with coffered ceilings and geometric forms typical to Islamic architecture, is part of this Arab emirate's quest to become a cultural center of the Middle East. Photo Credit: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

Vuelta a España

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Here the cyclists are shown trekking through the region of Sierra de Segura, as part of this three-week road race through Spain in 2008. The mountainous countryside, filled with cottages and olive groves, is known for its traditional Arab and Medieval architecture. Photo Credit: Yelmo01/lasierradesegura.mforos.com