The French Riviera coastal town of Mandelieu-La Napoule has positioned itself as a hub for international bicycle tourism, anchored by its role as the host city and final destination for the Race Across France ultra-cycling event.
Organised by the Race Across Series, the 2026 edition of the event took place on June 18-28, 2026. The ultra-cycling challenge featured multiple distance options for participants, including 200km, 300km, 500km, 1,000km, and 2,500km routes, drawing endurance cyclists to the region to test their limits across varied terrain.
According to the Mandelieu-La Napoule Tourist and Convention Bureau, the municipality has been leveraging its natural geography between the Mediterranean Sea and the Estérel and Tanneron mountains to attract diverse cycling disciplines. The local infrastructure supports road cycling, gravel biking, mountain biking, and electric bikes.
To support the growing influx of cycling tourists, the local tourist office introduced resources including a bilingual French-English brochure titled ‘The 15 most beautiful cycling routes’. Available for €5 at the Mandelieu Tourist Office, the guide provides detailed route descriptions, historical and geological points of interest, maps, and GPX QR codes for navigation. This followed a previous publication focused on walking infrastructure, titled ‘The 15 most beautiful hikes starting from Mandelieu’.
Data cited by the tourism bureau from Vélo et Territoires highlights the scale of the cycling market, noting that 22 million French citizens cycle whilst on holiday. Furthermore, more than 20% of cycling tourists in France originate from abroad, with an average expenditure estimated at €68/day.
In response to this demand, Mandelieu has invested in structural developments, such as the EuroVélo8 cycle route, expanded local cycle paths, and public maintenance equipment, including technical terminals and tyre inflation stations throughout the city. Local tourism stakeholders have also worked to expand the number of accommodation options carrying the ‘Accueil Vélo’ (Cyclists Welcome) label to establish the town as a base camp for roaming tour operators.
The flagship Race Across France event served as the competitive pinnacle of this strategy. The multi-day race utilised ‘Bases de vie’ (life bases) along the route to provide participants with food, sleeping areas, mechanical support stations, and medical assistance.
For the 2026 Race Across France event, the organisers partnered with StadiumGO to offer a carpooling platform for participants and spectators, aiming to streamline logistics for those travelling to the various start points, which included Hendaye for the 2,500km route, Orléans for the 1,000km route, Albertville for the 500km route, and Bollène for the 300km route.
Beyond competitive cycling, the Mandelieu region promotes broader outdoor sports, including trail running, open-water swimming, and triathlon preparation.
