Monaco fired the starting gun for a historic weekend of races and events when it hosted the Grand Départ and second stage of the 81st La Vuelta professional road cycling race. An avid cycling fan, Prince Albert II was involved in every part of Monaco’s leg of the competition, from its official launch on Casino Square, to the Grand Départ, to the start of La Vuelta’s second stage.
Presenting the athletes
Before the big races, the official presentation of participating teams and riders took place in the presence of Prince Albert II on Thursday 20 August on the Casino Square. The Sovereign also posed for a photo with the race’s safety crew, which included the Prince’s Carabinieri motorcycle unit, on the Palace Square. About 130 Civil Guards, 60 motorcyclists, 30 vehicles, and a helicopter have been deployed to ensure the security of the race, which will cover 3,275 km in 21 stages.
Monaco resident Tadej Pogačar wins Stage One by 0.09 seconds!
Prince Albert II cut the red ribbon, officially launching La Vuelta alongside Javier Guillén, the race director, at 4:10 pm on 22 August. The Sovereign then headed to the terrace of the Salle Empire of the Hôtel de Paris to view the first race, a 9.6-kilometre individual time trial which wound its way through Monaco.
The race began at the Place du Casino before heading through the Moulins district, the Fairmont bend, the Larvotto district, Port Hercule, Port de Fontvieille, the Cirque marquee and Stade Louis II before finishing at the starting line of the Grands Prix Automobiles.
Slovenian cyclist and five-time Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogačar, emerged victorious on home roads, completing the stage in 10 minutes and 57 seconds, only 0.09 seconds ahead of Ethan Hayter!
The race’s route took the cyclist in front of his apartment, a familiar road that may have given him the upper hand. The Prince congratulated the winner on the podium and later presented Tadej Pogacar with an AS Monaco jersey.
Ride for Peace
Before Stage Two began, the Sovereign attended “Ride for Peace” a cycling event from the Palace Square to the Jardin Exotique on Sunday 23 August. Organized by La Vuelta and Peace and Sport, the event brought together fifty participants, including former professional cyclists Alexandre Vinokourov, Stephen Roche, and Fabio Aru, as well as sports figures Marlène Nidecker, Antoine Zeghdar, and Maxime Nocher. The event promoted a shared message: “sport can bring people together, foster dialogue and contribute to peace”.
Stage Two
The start of the second stage, a 214.3-kilometre race from Monaco to Manosque, was given by Prince Albert II from the Jardin Exotique. James Matthew Brennan won Stage Two, with Pau Miquel Delgado in second-place and Tadej Pogačar in third.
With Stage Two complete, Monaco’s La Vuelta adventure is officially over. Monaco is now the only city-state in the world to have hosted the start of all three Grand Tours: the Giro d’Italia in 1966, the Tour de France in 2009, and La Vuelta a España in 2026, which will end on 13 September in Granada.
