Monaco Life’s Niki Borisova reveals the best vantage points in Monaco to watch the final stage of the 111th Tour de France, from the starting line at Port Hercule to the climb up into Beausoleil.
On Sunday 21st July, Monaco will host the final stage of the 111th Tour de France. This year’s race, marking Monaco’s 12th time hosting the Grande Boucle and its 7th as a stage city, culminates in a 34 km individual time trial starting in the Principality and concluding in Nice.
This decisive stage will begin at Port Hercule, go through the streets of Monaco towards Beausoleil, and riders will climb to La Turbie and Col d’Eze before descending to the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna in Nice.
To find the best viewing spots for our readers, we walked the Tour de France track in Monaco.
The race begins at Port Hercule at 2:30pm, at the beginning of Boulevard Albert 1er. Spectators can witness the start of the race by standing on either side of the road or at one of the restaurants on the left side, such as Casa Amodio or Bella Vita.
The riders will then follow the route to the Saint Devote roundabout, where the public can watch it from either side of the roundabout. The terrace of Café Milano also provides a good view of the route as the riders race along Boulevard Louis II.
Above Boulevard Louis II, there’s Equivoque rooftop bar, which also provides an unobstructed view of the Port and the route to Boulevard Louis II. Another good spot that we recommend would be by the entrance of the Monaco Yacht Club, as this is where the public can get a clear view of the race going along Boulevard Louis II.
The next stage in the route is the Louis II tunnel, where spectators can line the sidewalk to watch the riders zoom past, going towards Avenue Princess Grace. Our pick for the best spot to watch the tunnel part would be at the very end/exit of the tunnel, where the public can get a clear view of the riders cruising down.
The race will proceed along Avenue Princess Grace until the roundabout at Le Meridien hotel, where the riders will take a turn and return along the Avenue. There are plenty of great spots to watch the race from here as there are many restaurants, including Song Qi, which has a terrace directly on the sidewalk, Cova, The Niwaki, and Avenue 31. Another option would be to line up the sidewalks on either side of the Avenue and follow the action.
As with the Monaco Grand Prix, the most famous part of the route is the renowned Fairmont Hairpin turn. However, instead of going down it as the Formula One cars do, the Tour de France riders will be riding up it – no small task on bikes and in the summer heat. Of course, the obvious vantage point here would be at the entrance of the Fairmont Hotel overlooking the curve. Another place that we recommend is on top of the stairs leading up to Buddha Bar.
The race will continue up Avenue des Spélugues, where Rampoldi restaurant would provide a great view. Another option would be to stand by Audemars Piguet boutique, as this provides a great view of the riders coming up this road.
Nearing the end of the Monaco route, the riders will go along the Place du Casino Road, but they will not reach the Casino Square. Instead they will go up the Allee des Boulingrins. The best spot here would be at the intersection of these two roads, by the Zegg and Cerlati store.
The last section of the race will be along the Rue des Iris, where the best viewing spot is by Barclays Private Bank, Pictet Bank, or on top of the stairs leading onto Boulevard Princess Charlotte. The race will go past Maya Mia, another perfect place to see the riders wizzing past and heading on to Beausoleil.
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Main Photo credits: Tour de France Facebook
All other photos: Monaco Life