Racing ahead toward the Jardin Albert 1er, both Norway's Megane Omalie and Sweden's Rutger Hägglund take the curve beautifully and are now in a tight race for the lead. Tavho Myrsky of Finland, once the undisputed leader of the race, somehow fumbles his gears and cuts to the right lane, falling off the pace of the lead pack.Belgium's Victor Hugo Stéphane shifts down and comes out of the curve at Place Messéna. For the Belgian, it is a near perfect exploitation of his previous overtake on the Czech driver, Vitez Rychly. His tires only skid slightly as he expertly maneuvers the yellow Bugatti T35B into position. It is clear to all that he will soon challenge the Finnish driver ahead for 3rd Place.
Vitez Rychly's continued hatred of the German again becomes evident as the Czech audaciously seizes an opportunity to force aside Germany's Godeschalk Hegkman, who is still carrying too much speed as his white Bugatti vaults toward Place Messéna. Gamely sacrificing the position to the Belgian Bugatti, Rychly instead cuts right and blocks the Teutonic ace, holding him to the inside lane. The German responds by cutting ahead of the Czech car, nearly skidding and at the edge of control, his tires clearly stripped of tread. There can be no doubt that shortly the Czech will cut back ahead of Hegkman, whose car is only barely holding to the line of curve.
Farther back, France's Aristide La Fontaine shifts up and heads toward Place Messéna, his powerful Salmson aircraft engine unsuccessfully straining to get the car back up to speed. John Milk of Britain now shifts up a gear, gunning his Amilcar to overtake. In a cloud of benzine, Milk uses the fuel boost feature of his car to vault ahead of France and come in behind Rychly. As he maneuvers past, his left hand flicks up into a smart British salute.
Meanwhile, Italy's Sebi Orsi maneuvers gracefully through the curve at Avenue de la Victoire, while Spain slams his car down to 1st Gear and carefully edges forward. Despite his slow speed, the Spaniard still manages to skid on a piece of debris in the roadway, damaging the under body of his all black Bugatti. Switzerland makes no attempt to slow and blazes past the Spanish driver to overtake for 10th place, cutting left to fall in behind the Italian, who does not even care to glance back.
Meanwhile, at the opposite side of the track by Hôtel Negresco, the Czech driver's security man, Orlince Strazny, races eastward along the Promenade des Anglais, his black suit flapping in the breeze as he leans forward and confidently shifts through the gears of Orsi's red Benelli motorbike, his eyes fixed upon the conflagration ahead at the pits.
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