The final stage of the Tour de France, taking riders on an undulating 35km trip of the Côte d’Azur, from Monaco to Nice, has been revealed.
In under a year’s time, the Tour de France will return to the Riviera. A Covid-affected race in Nice marked the start of the 2020 edition of the iconic race, this time, it will mark the end.
Due to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Arrivée has been moved from the Champs-Élysées to the Promenade des Anglais. On 21st July 2024, the day after a tour of the beautiful arrière-pays that surrounds Nice, 176 riders will make the trip from the Principality.
A historic time trial
It will be the first arrivée not to take place on the Champs-Élysées. It will also be the first time since 1989 that the Tour de France will conclude with a time trial.
A digital, panoramic visualisation of the route has been revealed by Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi. Starting in Port Hercules, riders will explore the extremities of the Principality’s borders, heading out to the Larvotto before turning back towards Monte-Carlo.
Riders will then make the steep climb up through Beausoleil and quickly reach 480m of altitude in La Turbie. The climbing won’t stop there. Following the Haute Corniche, the riders will then tackle Col d’Èze (508m) before descending onto the Moyen-Corniche.
A traditional cobblestone finish
The final stages of the time trial will be an exposition of the beauty of Nice. Entering through the Corne d’Or, which will provide a panoramic of the Riviera city, the riders will race around the port and onto the Promenade des Anglais.
Whilst the dénouement of the Tour de France will look starkly different next year, the riders will nonetheless still cross cobblestones, as they do in Paris, when they cross the finish line in Place Masséna.
The time trial format will introduce an element of competitiveness into the final stage where Jonas Vingegaard will be looking to secure a third-successive yellow jersey.
See the route in the post below. Click here if you can’t see the post.
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Robbie Williams may have been the headline attraction at Saturday’s Red Cross Gala in Monaco, but Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were the biggest hits on the night.
Some 800 prestigious guests, including Monaco’s Princely couple and their niece, Camille Gottlieb, headed to the illustrious Salle des Etoiles on Saturday 29th July for the 74th edition of the ever-elegant Gala Croix-Rouge, which raises funds for the Monegasque branch of the well-established charity.
The night was a particularly colourful affair, and not just due to the vibrant colour scheme picked for the venue’s décor and table settings. British pop superstar Robbie Williams added an extra layer of boldness to the event, rocking the stage with a series of his greatest hits and really getting the party started after the traditional money-raising tombola.
Prince Albert, who celebrated 40 years as President of the Monaco Red Cross just last year, and his wife Princess Charlene, who holds the important role of vice president of the organisation, were also stars of the show. The exquisitely dressed couple beamed as they led attendees onto the dancefloor hand-in-hand, and were later pictured with Williams and his wife, Ayda Field.
The amount raised in the name of the Red Cross is yet to be announced, but given the smiles on the night, the event was certainly a success.
Click on the images below to see more from the special event:
See more in our Instagram video below. Click here if you can’t see the post.
Max Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s dominant season continued in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Despite a grid penalty, the reigning world champion took the chequered flag, whilst Charles Leclerc secured a podium finish.
Verstappen has been untroubled since the Miami Grand Prix. In taking the chequered flag at Spa Francorchamps, the Dutch driver has registered an eighth consecutive victory and Red Bull’s 13th in a row as the manufacturer continue their record-breaking run. Sergio Perez’s second place capped a near-perfect weekend for Red Bull.
Verstappen took a five-place grid penalty and therefore started from sixth. It was Leclerc who was in the now unfamiliar position of being on pole, however, he couldn’t hold his lead for long. Despite a good start, Perez took the lead on the first lap due to the Red Bull’s unparalleled straight-line speed.
Leclerc best-of-the-rest
Slightly further back, a first-corner collision between Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz ultimately brought both drivers’ races to a premature end, whilst Verstappen made early gains, making his way quickly up to fourth.
Verstappen easily dispatched old foe Lewis Hamilton and then Leclerc before taking the lead from teammate Perez before the halfway mark. Despite a light rain shower, it was clear that the race was leading to a processionary conclusion.
FERRARI F1 GP BELGIO VENERDI @Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
Verstappen and Perez secured the one-two ahead of Leclerc. Despite Sainz’s misadventure on the opening lap, it was a largely positive weekend for Ferrari, who were rewarded for their work with a podium. Hamilton finished just behind in fourth.
Going into the summer break, Red Bull have won every race so far this season, and there are no signs of that unprecedented dominance relenting when Formula One returns in late August.
Make sure you’re never left out of the conversation.
Found right in the heart of the Principality, covering the famous Port Hercule and a vibrant retail zone, La Condamine is where much of daily life occurs in Monaco.
La Condamine is to locals what Monte Carlo is to tourists: a place to hang out and explore, to shop and meet up. In short, it’s the beating heart of the Principality and is the third largest neighbourhood after Monte Carlo and the second port district of Fontvieille.
Port Hercule, the more famous of Monaco’s two harbours, is a dream for the nautically minded. Boats of all shapes and sizes are docked in what is one of the most glamourous ports in the world, whose berths are often filled to capacity with incredible superyachts owned by the fabulously wealthy who come to appreciate the Principality and all it has to offer.
It is also a hub for many local events and festivals, including the annual Christmas village, multiple fun fairs spread across the calendar year, fireworks shows and, for 2023, a new summer market space.
Quai des Etats-Unis, with its celebrated Yacht Club de Monaco, runs down one side of the port, and the restaurant-lined Quai Antoine Ier faces it from the other side. In-between and backing up into a busy shopping and restaurant zone is the Route de la Piscine, with its fantastic open-air swimming pool, that houses the grandstands of the Monaco Grand Prix and many other eye-catching events.
The iconic Yacht Club de Monaco. Photo credit: MC-Clic
The area is buzzing with eateries that cater to families by day then transform into thumping nightclubs after dark, giving it the vibe that Monaco is always open for business.
Up from the port is the Condamine Market – Le Marché de la Condamine – which is located just off the central traffic hub of Place d’Armes. Each morning, a farmers market crops up selling fresh produce destined for the tables of local restaurants and homes that night. There are also several other traders, such as florists and cheese makers, as well as a covered section, La Halle Gourmande, that serves up a selection of sit-down food options, including Monegasque specialties such as barbagiuans as well as the other regional favourites of pissaladière, socca and fougasse, alongside a thriving range of shops.
The lively Condamine market is located a few minutes from the port on foot and just across from the busy thoroughfare of the Place d’Armes. Photo credit: Mairie de Monaco
The outdoor market is open all week, Tuesday to Saturday, from 7am to 3pm, with the additional hours of 6pm to 9.30pm for the indoor section.
The best place to go to shop in the neighbourhood is Rue Caroline, the street that slopes up from the Avenue Albert Ier and is a sort of “main drag” for boutiques and restaurants. The side streets that run off the Rue Caroline are also filled with treasures, so give them the proper time to wander and explore to get the most out this special neighbourhood.
For those who like to dive into the local scene, La Condamine is the place to be.
Read Monaco Life’s other guides to the Principality’s neighbourhoods:
The second leg of the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival has a very eclectic and international line-up. Here are the dates and names you need to know about.
Mika is kicking off the second half of Société des Bains de Mer’s Monte-Carlo Summer Festival on Friday 4th August. Vibrant, joyful and more than a little eccentric, the pop star, musician and songwriter will be playing to a crowd at the Salle des Étoiles from 10.30pm, but the dinner portion of the night starts at 8pm. Tickets are still available and cost €360 per person.
Next up on Tuesday 8th August is magnetic Italian star Eros Ramazzotti, who is stopping off for a special performance in Monaco’s Salle des Étoiles as part of his Battito Infinito World Tour. This is another dinner show, with doors opening at 8pm. Ramazzotti regularly sells out his European shows so book your tickets now – seats cost €400 per person – if you want a chance to see the icon on stage.
Then on Saturday 12th August is Nile Rodgers & CHIC, also at the Salle des Étoiles with the same times as above. The composer, producer and prodigious guitarist has sold 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide, so it’ll be a real treat to experience the talent of this award-winning artist in such an intimate setting. Tickets to see the legendary Nile Rodgers are still available for €360.
And wrapping up this year’s Monte-Carlo Summer Festival is Turkey’s “megastar” of Tarkan on Saturday 19th August. He’ll also be performing at the Salle des Étoiles, the night starting at 8pm, and tickets cost €460.
For more high tempo action at the Salle des Étoiles, be sure to check out our article on the much-awaited debut of Flavio Briatore’s Billionaire.
Most of the time, MoNa Restaurant is an exclusive “family kitchen” for the ultra-wealthy residents of the stunning MoNa tower. But at night, Chef Tristan Romain opens his kitchen to all who are looking to enjoy this delicious mix of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
MoNa Restaurant feels like a hot little secret, a hidden oasis in the Saint Roman neighbourhood of Monaco. Even the front door of the restaurant, located on the ground floor of this new high-end residential building, inconspicuously looks the same as every other front door in the towering 22-story building.
Like the architectural marvel designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte in which it is located, the MoNa Restaurant is elegant and welcoming; “relaxed refinement” is how Interior Designer Rashid Rivani describes it. “The MoNa Residence site is rich, the architecture is marked. It therefore sets a common thread to develop the aesthetics of the restaurant,” says Rivani. “There is an artist that I adore, Daniel Buren, who left his mark on MoNa Residence with his stripes, sequences, and rhythms, with a predominantly green colour-code carried by the green marble of the Alps, one of my favourite colours.”
MoNa Residence, image supplied
The restaurant appropriates these details firstly in the welcome space that has been designed in the spirit of an English pub. A green stained-glass window above the main bench seat commands the attention of all who arrive here, filtering natural light and bouncing reflections of infinite variations. It contributes to the creation of an atmosphere that is intimate and inviting.
Green Vert des Alpes marble features on the floors and benchtops, cocooning the restaurant in a luxurious warmth, while large bay windows and expansive glass make the room feel larger than what it is.
A terrace completes this oasis in the residential centre of Monaco.
“It’s a soothing character for visitors, and a familiar continuity for residents,” says Laurent Michaud, restaurant manager. “Carried by this atmosphere, residents come to the restaurant as if they were going to their own dining room. They are still at home without being in their residence. The nature of the dishes we offer retains this spirit, this conviviality, without ostentation, but which does not sacrifice anything in the refinement necessary for quality cuisine.”
MoNa Head Chef Tristan Romain, photo by Monaco Life
It is Chef Tristan Romain’s mission to strike the right balance in his menu between familiarity and innovation; comfort and excitement.
“The challenge we have being a residence restaurant is that people can become bored with the menu. That’s why we have suggestions that change every week,” acknowledges Chef Romain. “We are starting to know our resident customers now and what their preferences are, so we try to satisfy them as best we can. We also do off-the-card dishes and get them the products that they like. We don’t do extravagance, but we try our best to satisfy them every day, because in addition to the restaurant we also have room service.”
Many dishes to share in the restaurant are served on wooden trays placed in the centre of the table. It encourages people to talk and interact as they take from the platter, and to try new things. Middle-eastern driven plates of pita, mezze, falafel, and bread baked on site daily harmoniously meet Mediterranean favourites like vitello tonnato, burrata with tomatoes, trofie al pesto, and penne arrabbiata, each dish intoxicatingly rich in flavour as the last.
Middle Eastern is clearly a specialty of this vegan-conscious chef, photo supplied
Vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs are the chef’s preferred produce, his “signature” if he were to have one, which he prefers not to. But his philosophy, and love of vegan food, goes down well with the health-conscious clientele.
“Our signature here is not necessarily the dish, but the atmosphere that you find. Although the food is very good and vegetable-focussed, our signature is more that we try to create a moment, an atmosphere. We are a young, dynamic team and it is this overall experience that is the signature of MoNa.”
The bar marries excellent cocktails, like the signature gin, mint and elderflower, with freshly blended fruit juices, for a rounded dining experience.
The main dining room is sophisticated and welcoming, photo supplied
New sustainable residence with quality services
MoNa Restaurant completes the high-end services on offer at the MoNa Residence, which also include indoor and outdoor pools, spa, cinema room, and a concierge partnership where anything is available upon request.
“Our objective is to give our residents who travel around the world and who have very high evaluation criteria the assurance of finding what they need, at any time, at home,” explains Aileen Fabre, commercial director of Immobilier Pastor. “With MoNa Restaurant, we are deepening our relationship with our guests, because there is nothing more convivial than offering and sharing a meal.”
The cosy terrace of MoNa Restaurant, photo supplied
MoNa Restaurant welcomes residents of MoNa Residence from 7am to 10:30pm. From midday, the restaurant also serves residents of the entire Michel Pastor Group real estate portfolio.
Then, from 7pm, the restaurant is open to everyone, by reservation. There’s even a delivery service with Delovery for people to enjoy MoNa Restaurant anywhere in Monaco.
See more in our Instagram video below. Click here if you don’t see the post.
