In just under two weeks’ time, the Olympic torch will arrive in the French Riviera for a tour of seven towns and cities in the Alpes-Maritimes. Here’s all the information you need to know if you’re hoping to be a part of this historic occasion.
The Olympic flame will be beginning its tour of the Alpes-Maritimes in Villefranche-sur-Mer at 8.05am. Alice Modolo, a free-diving world record holder, has been given the honour of carrying the torch for this section of the relay, which will conclude at 8.35am at the Citadelle.
Then the flame will be heading to Grasse for a 9am depart from the Cours Honoré-Cresp. Michelin-starred Chef Jacques Chibois of the Bastide Sainte-Antoine will trace a route to the Stade Louis Perdigon with the torch in-hand over the next 50 or so minutes.
Next comes a visit to Cannes. Carried initially by former Paralympic athlete Alexandre Farrugia, the Olympic torch will leave the Chateau de la Castres just before 11.30am. Three additional sportsmen and women from the city will be given the honour of transporting the eternal flame along a route of 3km through the city to the Base Nautique de Moure Rouge via the Palais des Festivals.
Into the hinterland
From there, the flame will head inland to the mountain resort of Valberg, where it will be picked up by Olympic medallist and snowboarder Julia Pereira de Sousa-Mabileau at 1.18pm. A bicycle stage from nearby Launes to Beuil’s Place Charles Ginésy will conclude the first mountain sector of the Alpes-Maritimes route at 1.38pm.
The fifth stage will see the Olympic torch travel back down to the coast. Antibes-Juan-les-Pins will welcome the flame to the Pinède in Juan-les-Pins shortly after 3pm. Several local personalities from the worlds of sports and culture will then exchange the torch over a 4.9km route through Antibes, a city that is officially twinned with Olympia in Greece. The torch is due to arrive at the Stade du Fort Carré at 4.22pm.
Then it is back into the mountains for a depart from the zipline in La Colmiane at 4.33pm. Judo’s 2013 World Champion Loïc Pietri is expected to fly down the country’s longest zipline at speeds of 120kmph to deposit the flame at the Ecole des Neiges et d’Altitude 20 minutes later.
Grand finale in Nice
The celebrations in Nice will begin ahead of the flame’s arrival in the city, which is being projected for 5.56pm on the Avenue des Grenouillères.
A fan zone on the Quai des Etats-Unis will be open to the public from 3.30pm until 7.45pm and will feature an array of sporting events, games and activities for all ages alongside live music and special Olympics-themed shows.
Ultra trial star Sébastien Camus will begin the flame’s voyage through Nice, with other athletes expected to join him along the route on the Promenade des Anglais via the Quai des Ponchettes.
The Olympic cauldron will be formally ignited at 7.30pm.
Following its stint in the Alpes-Maritimes, the torch will then proceed on to Vaucluse and the Drôme.
For further details on the route, click here.
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Photo source: Paris 2024, Facebook
* Article originally published on 5th June 2024