With just one month to go until the Grand Départ of the 2026 Vuelta a España, Monaco is beginning to transform itself into a celebration of cycling, with striking floral displays appearing across the Principality ahead of the race’s historic opening stage…
The 81st edition of Spain’s famous Grand Tour will begin on August 22 with a 9km individual time trial through Monaco’s streets, marking the first time the Vuelta has started in the Principality.
To mark the occasion, Monaco’s Urban Planning Department has created a series of cycling-themed floral installations and decorations that will welcome riders and spectators alike. The centrepiece is a giant bicycle-shaped flowerbed at the roundabout linking Avenue des Guelfes and Avenue des Ligures, measuring 4.5 metres by 6 metres.
Four gardeners spent the week planting around 700 bronze-leaved begonias with vivid red flowers, chosen to reflect the iconic leader’s jersey of the Vuelta. A white gravel background completes the design, creating a striking contrast that highlights the bicycle silhouette.
Additional decorations, including oversized jerseys and bicycle silhouettes painted in the Vuelta’s distinctive colours, will also appear at key locations around the Principality.
The floral installations will remain in place until November, when they will make way for Monaco’s traditional winter displays in preparation for the International Circus Festival.
Image: Monaco Info