Nice After the Tour de France 2024

What happens after the cyclists have flown home and the crowds have dispersed? I took a solo stroll through Nice the morning after the Tour de France came to town — camera in hand, sun overhead, and the city still glowing yellow.

The Tour de France usually finishes with its iconic sprint down the Champs-Élysées, but 2024 was different. With Paris preparing for the Olympics, the Grand Arrivée moved south — and for the first time, the race finished in Nice.

By coincidence (or good timing), our summer holiday in the South of France lined up perfectly with the finale. We were based in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, with plans to pop into the city for the final stage. But after a long weekend at the Chèvre D’Or, we could already see the preparations taking over. Roads were closing, grandstands were rising, and it felt like the whole region was ready to grind to a halt.

Then the rain came. A rare downpour on the Côte d’Azur made our decision easier — we skipped the crowds and stayed dry, watching the finale from the comfort of a nearby bar. But the next morning, I headed into Nice to have a look.

Monday Morning, Post-Tour

It was a bright, hot Monday — blue skies, full sun, and a city starting to breathe again. The train from Beaulieu took about 15 minutes, and Nice Ville station was buzzing with a mix of Tour fans and Olympic staff moving on to their next destinations.

Out front, I found the first of many yellow flourishes — a row of playful bike sculptures, still standing proud. Whimsical and very French, they looked like they belonged on a postcard.

Two black metal cycle sculptures stand outside the entrance to Nice Ville railway station

Cycle Sculptures at Nice Ville Railway Station

Down by Le Negresco, a towering grandstand had been built for spectators lining the Promenade. Empty now, it still felt cinematic — a temporary amphitheatre with the sea as its backdrop. As they were clearing some temporary trees I noted their beloved Louis Armstrong statue had been replaced! I later found out he’d gone to Paris for the Tous Léger! exhibition at the Palais de Luxembourg. (We’d catch up with him next summer.)

Walking further along the Promenade des Anglais, I spotted more subtle tributes to the Tour. Coloured fabric shades — yellow, polka dot, green — stretched across the walkway, casting a festive glow on the seafront. Even the famous blue chairs had been switched out for special editions in Tour jersey colours.

From Vieux Nice to Place Massena

Crossing into the old town, I found signs of the race still clinging to lampposts and barriers. A pedestrian bridge was being dismantled, but the replica jerseys remained — tiny trophies still hanging in the air.

As I reached the Fontaine du Soleil, I could see more signs lining the approach to Place Massena. The usually-busy water play area had been turned into an athlete zone, now deserted but still draped in yellow. The sunlight bounced off bright signage and metal railings, catching the geometry of the plaza’s black-and-white tiles.

A City in Celebration — and Recovery

There’s something beautiful about a city after an event — the energy still lingers, even as the clean-up begins. Nice was glowing that morning. Not just from the sunshine, but from the pride of having hosted something historic.

We didn’t see the cyclists cross the line. But I did get to see the city, calm and colourful, still wrapped in Tour de France yellow. And that felt like something worth capturing.

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