The sun was buttery and warm on a perfect July afternoon in Monaco. The first cyclist took off at 2:40 pm and was followed by a steady stream of colourful bike helmets, skillfully weaving through the streets of the Principality. Seeing the waves of athletes peddling furiously atop strong metal frames and twirling rubber wheels felt like watching schools of fish swimming through the sea. Or a group of starlings, flitting left and right, manoeuvring around the bends, moving together as one sentient cloud. Four hours later, at 6:45 pm, the final rider took his start.
Monaco resident wins the Tour de France!
On Sunday 21 July 2024, the final stage of the Tour de France began in Monaco. For 120 years, the final stage of the Tour de France has ended in Paris. But, because of the Olympics, the route had to be altered. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène greeted the big crowds who lined the streets, giving the event a festive atmosphere.
After setting off from Port Hercule, the riders made their way through the streets in the direction of Beausoleil. They then had to tackle the two toughest sections of the 34 km stage: the climb to La Turbie (8.1 kilometres at an average gradient of 5.6 %) and then the Col d’Eze (1.6 kilometres at 8.1 %), before expertly navigating the descent to Nice via Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) came in first place in the race from Monaco to Nice and won the Tour de France for the third time in his life. The Slovenian professional cyclist also won in 2020 and 2021. He lives in Monaco with his partner, fellow Slovenian professional cyclist Urška Žigart.
Monaco is home to around fifty professional cyclists, including Primož Roglič, Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Peter Sagan and Matteo Trentin. The athletes appreciate the Mediterranean weather, which allows them to train all year round. The varied terrain in the surrounding area includes the demanding ascent of the Col de la Madone, which attracts “time-trial specialists” (a road bicycle racer who can maintain high speeds for long periods of time). Two professional cyclists are originally from Monaco: Victor Langellotti and Antoine Berlin.
A special relationship lasting 85 years
The Tour de France is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tours, which include the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. It was first organized in 1903 thanks to a rivalry between two sports newspapers: Le Vélo and L’Auto. It has been held every year except from 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1946 due to the two World Wars.
Although the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same and includes passages through the Pyrenees and the Alps, and (except in 2024) a finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The 21 stages each last roughly one day and cover approximately 3,500 kilometres total. The race alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits. The total distance is between 3000 and 4000 km.
The Principality has hosted the Tour de France eleven times and has been a stage town six times. On 23 July 1939 the Tour comes through Monaco for the first time. The most dramatic moment of the Tour de France in Monaco was probably the ninth stage of the 1964 race, when the riders had to ride an extra lap, crossing the finish line twice. The leader, Raymond Poulidor, forgot about the extra lap and accelerated to finish first. As a result of his mistake it was Jacques Anquetil, one of the most decorated cyclists in history, who won the ninth stage as well as the 1964 Tour de France for the fifth time.
Around the race
On July 13 the Prince inaugurated an exhibition of nineteen photographs on the gates of the Jardins Saint-Martin. The pictures retrace the passages of the renowned cycling competition through the Principality. The photos date from between 1952 and 2009.
Then on Saturday 20 July at 1 pm nine women athletes from ‘Donnons des Elles au Vélo’, a club dedicated to promoting women’s cycling, set off from the Quai Albert I to cycle the last leg of the Tour route. Women from the club have done this for all the other stages of the Grande Boucle and they covered the whole of the 21st stage.
And on the morning of 21 July eight Monegasque winners of the 7th edition of the Dictée du Tour de France were welcomed to the Tour Village and invited to peek behind the scenes of the start of the Grande Boucle. These pupils, from Year 5 to Year 8, won a dictation contest with the aim of correctly spelling a press article about the Tour on 22 March. 23,000 children from all over France took part in this event, 300 of whom were lucky enough to attend the Tour.
Monaco and cycling
In an area of just over 2 kilometres-squared, Monaco has almost 6 kilometres of cycle paths. Several events take place throughout the year for cycling enthusiasts across Monaco. The Beking Monaco is a festive event that brings Monaco-based professional cyclists together with amateurs and families to promote cycling with races, family activities and conferences, all in support of charitable causes. The Monaco Cycling Union organizes the annual Cycling Criterium along the route by the Rainier III Outdoor Swimming Stadium (Port Hercule). The Principality has its own electric bike sharing scheme, Monabike, with over 400 self-service bicycles and about 50 charging stations throughout the Principality.
Monaco to host the Spanish Vuelta race in 2026
After hosting the final stage of the Tour de France, Monaco will be hosting the official departure of the 2026 Spanish Vuelta race. One of the leading cycling races on the international calendar, the Vuelta has 21 stages over three weeks of competition during August and September. The inaugural stage will take place entirely within Monaco. The departure of the second stage of the Vuelta 2026 will also kick-off in Monaco. The winner of the 2024 Vuelta was Slovenian Primož Roglič, also a Monaco resident.
The Tour de France in figures
– 175 riders of 30 different nationalities.
– 500 people supporting the riders (managers, team directors, assistants, mechanics, etc.).
– 10 to 12 million spectators along the roads (the world’s biggest cycling event).
– 3,500 journalists, reporters, filmmakers, and photographers from 40 nationalities.
– Broadcast in 190 countries by 100 channels (60 of which broadcast live).
– An estimated global TV audience of 3.5 billion people over three weeks (the second most-watched sports event after the Football World Cup).
Le Maillot Jaune
The legendary yellow jersey has been proudly donned by the first place rider for over one hundred years. The very first yellow jersey is thought to have been worn by Eugène Christophe at the start of the eleventh stage of the 1919 Tour de France, going from Grenoble to Geneva. However, other sources date the creation of the yellow jersey to 1913 or 1914. The yellow colour was chosen because of the colour of the pages of the L’Auto newspaper that sponsored the race.
The bonus paid to the final wearer of the Yellow Jersey was 3,000 francs in 1919 (about €4,000). The winner of the 2024 Tour de France received €500,000. Prize money is also awarded to the top 20 finishers of the competition. The total prize fund in 2024 was €2.3 million.
