The second day in Paris continued to serve up a mix of two sides of Paris: the one that stole the heart of the world and the one that is more down to earth. On Monday, it set off in the north of the city, carried by the foil fencer Ysaora Thibus at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, a new Olympic venue. 

This eco-designed facility, built with the local community in mind, will host badminton, rhythmic gymnastics and Para-powerlifting events. There was also an exhibition of portraits of female athletes by the illustrator Clémence Gouy. The torch then made its way down Boulevard Barbès, carried by the comedian Jamel Debbouze, who was born and raised in the area, to the delight of the crowd. 

The Torch visited the Moulin Rouge, whose legendary dancers greeted it with a lively open-air performance of the French cancan, before it ascended to Montmartre, where it enjoyed the view from the Sacré-Cœur basilica, where the Compagnie Murmuration put on a dance performance. 

The Relay continued along the Boulevard des Batignolles to Place du Général Catroux, where a Caribbean orchestra set the rhythm for a tribute to the Guadeloupean heroine Solitude in front of her namesake statue. Next up was a tour of three Parisian icons: the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and the Trocadéro. Here, the BMX star Matthias Dandois carried the torch in style with a wheelie against the dramatic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. 

The magic of art and culture continued with a stunning interlude at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, where the torch passed the Olympic rings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, before entering the Jardin d'Acclimatation. 

It made a brief detour to the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand before returning to the 16th arrondissement to meet the teams at France Télévisions, the official broadcaster of the Games. It then took the metro from Passy to Bir-Hakeim, before crossing the Île aux Cygnes to the 15th arrondissement. This leg included a Double Dutch performance by The RopesStylers and a Roller Dance party in Rue de Vaugirard. 

The Relay went from Place de la Catalogne to Place d'Italie, passing through Place Denfert-Rochereau, where the sounds of the La Sirène brass band filled the air. In Butte-aux-Cailles, the locals were treated to a lively neighbourhood party and the 'Danse Vertikale' gave a stunning performance. 

The climax came when the Olympic Torch climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Former pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, who did not qualify for the Games, handed it to chef Frédéric Anton, who passed it on to judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou. A host of festivities organised by the City of Paris kept the capital buzzing throughout the day. The Relay included a kite display on the Passerelle Mornay, followed by a dance on Place Léon Blum. 

The torch made its way to Père Lachaise cemetery and Place Édith Piaf, where the Envie de Chanter choir sang some of the French singer's repertoire. It then touched the grass of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, where a giant picnic awaited, before descending the Rue de Belleville to the beat of drums. 

The stage ended at the Place de la République, where the iconic handball player and three-time Olympic champion Nikola Karabatic lit the cauldron in front of a huge crowd. After performances by Soprano and Alonzo in Marseille, Lujipeka and Chilla in Rennes, and Bianca Costa and Santa in Saint-Étienne, artists Mentissa, Jain and Ofenbach took to the stage to keep the atmosphere alive as a prelude to the return of the Torch on 26 July.

Roland Garros, the venue for the Olympic tennis, wheelchair tennis and boxing events, witnessed a different kind of spectacle. The French Tennis Federation organised a team relay led by François Jauffret, the record holder for the most Davis Cup appearances and most Roland Garros semi-finals. He was joined by champions from all tennis families - including deaf tennis, wheelchair tennis and beach tennis - as well as coaches and volunteers. 

Another Team Relay took place at the National Institute for Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), with Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, and flagbearers who have inspired France in the past, such as Marie-José Pérec, Christine Arron (athletics), David Douillet (judo), Laura Flessel and Jean-François Lamour (fencing), Sandrine Martinet (Para-judo), Béatrice Hess (Para-swimming), Samir Ait Said (gymnastics) and Michael Jeremiasz (tennis).

French champions also carried the torch through the streets of Paris, including renowned rugby player Gaël Fickou, boxers Aya Cissoko and Souleymane Cissokho, athletes Éric Perrot and Frédérique Quentin, and tennis player Gilles Moretton. International athletes such as Rosa Mota, the Portuguese marathon gold medallist in Seoul, and Ellie Simmonds, the British Para-swimmer with five Olympic medals to her name. 

The day was marked by the presence of celebrities much loved by the French public, who lined the streets to cheer on the singer Amir and the three evening concert artists, Mentissa, Jain and Ofenbach. Actress Claudia Tagbo joined the festivities, as did Nina Metayer, acclaimed as the world's best pastry chef, chef Mory Sacko and Tharshan Selvarajah, the winner of the 2023 Best Baguette in Paris. 

Unsung heroes with inspiring stories also carried the Torch. One of them was Léon Lewkowicz, an Auschwitz survivor of who went on to become the French weightlifting champion. The crowd also saw Shanga Itaka of the Sensations Inclusives charity, which works to improve access to sport for people with disabilities, and Vivien Boyi-Banga, founder of Les Talents du 18, which encourages young people in the north of Paris to take up sport.