For the third year in a row, the Vuelta a España will start outside of Spain. In 2024, Portugal hosted the start, and in 2025, Italy. This year, the first stage of the 81st Vuelta will pass through the streets of the Principality, and the second stage will also start there. Monaco will thus become the only city in the world to host the start of all three Grand Tours.
Presentation of the 2026 Vuelta program and a test ride
The presentation of the ceremonial start of the 2026 Vuelta and the route of the first stage took place in October 2025 at the One Monte-Carlo complex. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, Vuelta director Javier Guillén, former cyclist Nicolas Roche and others attended.
Official events to mark the start of the race will begin on August 20 with the team presentations. The first stage of the 81st Vuelta will start on Saturday, August 22, at Place du Casino. The 9.6-kilometre individual race will take in Monaco’s most iconic landmarks, including Place du Casino, Boulevard des Moulins, Larvotto Beach, the Fairmont hairpin, Port Hercule, Stade Louis II and the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille. Participants will finish at the start/finish line of the Formula 1TM Grand Prix on Boulevard Albert 1er.
On Sunday, August 23, athletes will depart from the square near the Prince’s Palace, pass the Oceanographic Museum, and exit onto Quai Albert 1er, from where they will depart towards France.
The day after the presentation, Prince Albert II personally rode all ten kilometres of the upcoming first stage of the 2026 Vuelta.
Monaco and Grand Tours
A Grand Tour is the most prestigious competition in road cycling, and victory in it is valued even more than, for example, success at the World Championships or the Olympic Games. There are three Grand Tours, all held mid-season on the roads of France, Italy, and Spain: the Giro d’Italia in May, the Tour de France in July, and the Vuelta in late summer.
Periodically, stages of these races also take place in Monaco. Thus, on May 18, 1966, the 49th Giro d’Italia started in the Principality. Monaco became the second country in history (after San Marino) to host the start of the premier Italian cycling race instead of Italy.
The Principality has hosted the start or finish of a stage of the Tour de France seven times. The first time was on July 23–24, 1939 (the finish of stage 12b and the start of stage 13). The most dramatic moment of the Tour de France in Monaco was probably the ninth stage of the 1964 race, which concluded the difficult Alpine route from the high passes of Briançon. Then, the athletes had to complete an extra lap, crossing the finish line twice. Leading cyclist Raymond Poulidor forgot about the extra lap and accelerated to finish first. His mistake at the finish of the second lap left Jacques Anquetil, one of the most decorated cyclists in history, with his fifth Tour de France victory in 1964, in first place.
Seventy years later, on July 4, 2009, Monaco became the starting point for the entire Tour de France for the first time. The streets of the Principality, famous worldwide for the Formula 1™ Grand Prix, witnessed a different kind of speed. However, the cyclists, like the drivers, had no room for error. Unexpectedly narrowing corners, where any braking could lead to error, the climb to Beausoleil, which required control rather than simple acceleration, and finally, a descent where strong nerves were crucial — this was the course the participants in the first stage of the 2009 Tour de France had to conquer. It was Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara who performed best in the 15.5-kilometre individual time trial.
On July 21, 2024, the final stage of the 111th Tour de France began in Monaco. Competitors had to cover 33.7 kilometres and finish in Nice at Place Masséna. Traditionally, the Tour de France ends in Paris on the Champs-Élysées, but in 2024, Nice was chosen as the finish location due to the Olympic Games being held in the French capital. Slovenian Tadej Pogačar won the final stage and the entire race.
A Home for Champions
The Principality’s compact size and impressive terrain ensure that racing here is never boring or monotonous. In a matter of minutes, cyclists travel from the Mediterranean coast to the Alpine foothills. Trails like the Col de la Madone and La Turbie, combining technical climbs with panoramic views, have long been recognized as ideal for training. The excellent climate, suitable for year-round training, challenging terrain, safety, and seclusion make Monaco ideal for regular cycling, which is why many world-class cyclists choose Monaco as their permanent residence. For example, Tadej Pogačar, considered one of the best modern cyclists, lives in the Principality with his girlfriend, Slovenian professional cyclist Urška Žigart. Monaco has also become a second home for cycling stars such as Primož Roglič, Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Peter Sagan, and Matteo Trentin. Victor Langelotti and Antoine Berlin, both born in Monaco, have lived here since childhood.
In short, early in the morning, it’s not uncommon to spot a world-class cyclist on the streets of the Principality and its neighbouring towns. As a café owner in La Turbie once said, “You look up from your espresso and realise the rider climbing past just won the Tour de France.”
Cycling in Monaco
Support for cycling in Monaco extends far beyond hosting major international events. The country offers all the conditions for comfortable everyday cycling. Joint bike rides, youth programs, and amateur events also promote cycling at all levels. For the Principality, cycling is not only a spectacle but also a part of everyday life, reflecting a broader environmental vision where sustainable mobility and emission reduction are key priorities.
Monaco’s cycling ecosystem is strengthened by local initiatives that combine elite sport, amateur participation, and charity. The most notable of these is the BEKING Monaco festival, created by professional rider Matteo Trentin to promote cycling and sustainable development in Monaco. The festival takes place on a closed urban circuit around Port Hercule, and its start lists reflect Monaco’s unique concentration of world-class riders. BEKING Monaco also raises funds for charitable projects related to road safety, sustainable mobility, and the ease of cycling in the urban environment. All this encourages an increasing number of Monegasques to use bicycles for sport and recreation, as well as for everyday transportation.
The fact that Monaco has been chosen as the starting point for one of the Grand Tours speaks to the Principality’s important role in the development of global cycling. For Monaco, cycling is more than just a spectacle; it is part of the Principality’s identity and its future.
Four-time Vuelta winner lives in Monaco
To date, only two cyclists have won the Vuelta a España four times, and one of them has a direct connection to Monaco. He is Slovenian Primož Roglič, who resides permanently in the Principality with his wife and two sons. Roglič won the Spanish Grand Tour in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024. In 2023, Roglič also won the Giro d’Italia that makes him one of the most consistent Grand Tourers of his generation. Two Slovenian natives now living in Monaco —Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar, a four-time Tour de France winner and the 2024 Giro d’Italia winner — have made their small homeland a true centre of world cycling.
The other four-time Vuelta winner is Spaniard Roberto Heras, who won in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
