AS Monaco Esports has partnered with Gambit Esports to launch the AS Monaco Gambit team, whose professional players will play on the Fortnite and Dota 2 stages at the highest level.
Gambit Esports is owned by Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), a Russian digital, media and telecommunication service.
A total of eight players (three on Fortnite and five on Dota 2), accompanied by a four-person staff, will wear the AS Monaco diagonal jersey, including Mark “letw1k3” Danilov and Ilya “Toose” Chernishov, two of the most successful Russian players on the Fortnite title. AS Monaco becomes the first football club to enter this major esports discipline which is popular among hundreds of millions of gamers around the world.
In addition to participation in the competitions, whose debuts for the AS Monaco Gambit team are scheduled for 11th February on Fortnite (FNCS Chapter 2 season 5) and 14th February on Dota 2 (ESL One CIS Online season 1: upper division), the agreement provides for several joint operations, with the organisation of fan experiences when the health situation permits. A line of co-branded products will soon be available online as well in MTS shops in Russia.
“We are delighted to launch this partnership with Gambit Esports,” said Oleg Petrov, Vice-President and CEO of AS Monaco. “The creation of our joint team, AS Monaco Gambit, allows us to take a new step in this sector by joining forces with a reference on the international Esports scene.”
The Russian businessman added: “Esports is a very fast-growing market and an important pillar of our digital development. This orientation responds to a twofold objective: to enable us to diversify our activities by addressing a different, young and highly connected audience, while supporting the club’s internationalisation strategy by developing our presence in key territories.”
The creation of the AS Monaco Gambit team also marks the first Russian Esports club to establish a relationship with a foreign team.
“The partnership with AS Monaco will allow us to offer a unique experience to football and sports fans,” said Irina Semyonova, Head of the MTS Esports Department. “This is a great opportunity to develop our activities.”
AS Monaco and Esports
In 2016, AS Monaco was one of the first French football clubs to embark on the Esports adventure. Since then, Monegasque players have represented the princely colours on several games and have notably shone on PES. Since last July, the club has won its second consecutive eFootball.Pro title, a European competition bringing together FC Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
This season, the club is competing in PES, Fifa and now Fortnite and Dota2. MTS and Gambit Esports
Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) made its entry into Esports in 2018 with the acquisition of Gambit Esports – one of most established esports organisations in Europe. Gambit is currently represented in six gaming disciplines – Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Dota 2, Apex Legends and Valorant. Gambit’s teams have repeatedly won the World and European championships, as well as silver and bronze medals in major international competitions.
By the time the Covid-19 epidemic reached Monaco in early 2020, the government had implemented or was trialling a number of technical projects as part of its Smart City programme. Suddenly, technology that was designed to improve lifestyle in the Principality took on a whole new significance: to help protect the population and save lives.
“Monaco is a science-based country. We collect the data, we analyse it, and we make a decision based on all the information we have,” Georges Gambarini, Smart City Programme Manager, tells Monaco Life.
The government has been steadily introducing a range of new technology on its path to becoming a Smart City. Noise monitors, traffic sensors, ‘smart’ traffic lights… they’re all delivering real time information for the government to adapt its city planning.
But Georges Gambarini never imagined that the technology he was charged with implementing would soon be used in Monaco’s strategy to tackle a worldwide pandemic.
“Pedestrian censors, for example, helped us monitor pedestrian flow in the city during the post-confinement period, especially at the train station exit,” reveals Mr Gambarini. “We had around 20,000 to 25,000 people a day passing through the train station, and each day we tried to understand that flow. Were we at 50% of our normal situation? Was there are a risk of contagion because we had a lot of people in a small corridor of the train station? It was very useful in helping us to understand what the real situation was in the city at a moment when anxiety was high.” Photo: Monaco authorities use 3D simulation technology for impact analysis, by Monaco Life
One of the areas where Monaco has made significant ground is 3D technology. Every detail of the entire Principality has been digitally mapped. It is a critical advantage in urban planning, particularly in a development-heavy country like Monaco.
But again, technology that was introduced to measure, for example, how a new building would impact road traffic or wind propagation in the city, was utilised to help shape the government’s health measures.
“We were able to determine what the contagion risk was in a specific area of Monaco when someone was infected with Covid-19,” says Mr Gambarini. “In our 3D model of the Principality, we are able to inject a certain number of people who are contagious, apply the rules of contamination, and predict what the impact will be if there are 100 people without masks, then 200 people, etc.”
These 3D simulations allow authorities to recreate any digital scenario in Monaco and adjust their discussions and decision making according.
“It helps with questions like ‘Do we put in some new exits there?’, or ‘Will social distancing work in that space?’,” says the programme manager. “And it works because it is based on mathematics and the scientific rule of transmission.”
There are unknown factors, of course, but for the large part the people in Monaco have played by the rules.
“I’m not saying that digital saved everything in 2020, however thanks to digital people were able to work, to go shopping, etc. Decisions were made with the help of very deep data analysis, and technology sometimes helped to reinforce those decisions.”
If Monaco’s technical abilities advanced in 2020, they are set to excel in 2021 with the introduction of the sovereign cloud – data storage and computer power that not only resides in Monaco, but is also owned, governed and managed locally, with controls in place to ensure data is not accessible from outside the Principality.
“It will give us a very modern infrastructure with high calculation capabilities that we miss today,” explains Mr Gambarini. “We need to export our data to create algorithms, so the sovereign cloud will give us a very secure infrastructure and allow us to industrialise our deeptech strategy.”
From the beginning of 2021, the health situation in Monaco has accelerated significantly. What role technology is playing in limiting this impact will be a topic that Monaco Life will return to in the months ahead.
A new entry to the Formula One club, simply called the Monaco F1 Racing Team, is set to be the first new team to join the circuit in several years and the announcement is causing quite a stir in the racing world.
Formula One is about to see its first new team in ages, and aptly, due to its long racing history, the team is set to be Monaco-based. The new squad, called the Monaco F1 Racing Team, is looking to use new racing rules to secure entry into the exclusive club that has traditionally been dominated by big corporations and car manufacturers.
Monaco Increase Management (MIM), who joined forces with Spanish-based Campos Racing in 2019, were in negotiations with then-boss of F1 Chase Carey, but the reaction by Carey was lukewarm and nothing concrete came of the talks.
The team was hoping to debut in 2021 when new racing regulations would come into effect, but last year’s interrupted season due to the Covid pandemic put the kibosh on those plans.
“The current Monaco F1 Racing Team Project was the first to actively discuss the possibility of an entry with the F1 governance as early as 2019 and we were set to set up a structure accordingly, realising the potential of the new Technical Regulation that was initially supposed to come into force in 2021 and was subsequently delayed because of the pandemic,” said Salvatore Gandolfo, Founder and CEO of MIM, in a press statement.
The health situation delay was coupled with an accord put forth by F1 that said that any team wishing to join must pay a whopping $200 million (€165 million) “anti-dilution fee”, with the proceeds being evenly split between the current 10 teams on the Formula One roster. The fee is meant to protect the current prize money distribution system but is a big ask of anyone trying to break into the club.
Whilst this is officially on the books for 2021 to 2025, discussions with Formula One’s new chief, Stefano Domenicali, revealed a willingness to waive the massive fee.
“We believe that the recent statements of the new CEO, Stefano Domenicali, which suggest that the $200 million entry fee for new teams could be waived represent a step forward in the right direction,” said Gandolfo. “We appreciate the open attitude of both Stefano and the FIA and are ready to take the necessary steps in order to have our application finalised.”
The Automobile Club of Monaco has so far not raised objection to the name of the team, and if all goes ahead, the Monaco F1 Racing team will be the first to enter the fray since Haas in 2016.
Luxury ski resort Courchevel has been given the green light to open a blue slope during the February half-term break, but skiers won’t be taking a lift. Instead, they’ll have to access it by car.
The ski-starved can rejoice this school holiday as one of France’s most exclusive and popular ski resorts, Courchevel, introduces an inventive way to get around the ban on opening ski lifts due to the health risks posed.
Using a combination of ingenuity and imagination in order to allow access to a blue slope, the fabled Savoie-based ski station has created a track that allows cars to reach the top of the kiddie slope by car.
The run, which opened on Saturday, descends roughly two kilometres and gives skiers gasping for a day on the slopes the chance to get out and have a bit of fun. The Tourist Office of Courchevel assured the public on Monday of the safety of the signposted run, confirming reports put out by France3 Alpes.
The run is authorised for the February holidays and is free to those intrepid enough to make the 10 minute long journey up the mountain. The resort is hoping to attract people for the novelty run, and keep them there with other offerings, such as helicopter tours, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing excursions.
Photo by Courchevel Tourism
Leader of ‘Modern Cuisine’ to head Monaco restaurant
Yannick Alleno, holder of nine Michelin stars, will head his first restaurant in Monaco at the Hermitage Hotel, in what can only be described as a major coup for the Principality.
The exciting news was kept tightly under wraps until Monday when, in the Belle Epoque hall of the Hermitage Hotel, Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) Chairman and CEO Jean-Luc Biamonti excitedly revealed to local press the imminent arrival of one of France’s most respected chefs.
“We do not want to sit idly by in this crisis, we want to make sure that Monaco remains a city that is alive,” said Mr Biamonti. “That is why we have decided to take this initiative.”
Yannick Alleno made his debut at the Vistamar in July 2020 when he and his team from Paris cooked for the ‘Star Dining’ concept championed by Hermitage Managing Director Louis Starck.
It was a pivotal moment for both Alleno and Starck and set them on a path that will, in a few short months, finally align their futures and propel the one-starred Vistamar restaurant further on to the culinary stage. Photo: Yannick Alleno, Louis Starck and Jean-Luc Biamonti during Monday’s press conference, by Monaco Life
“I think we both felt a strong friendship last summer, and it was an important moment for Louis Starck to bring people back to the terrace of the Hermitage,” Chef Yannick Alleno told Monaco Life. “So, we started to talk to Jean-Luc Biamonti about the future, and I am just so proud to now be a part of the Hermitage.”
Yannick Alleno is one of the world’s most respected and charming chefs. He heads the Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris, which alone features three of his starred restaurants: Pavyllon, which received its first Michelin star this year just months after opening, L’Abysse sushi restaurant, which was elevated to two stars, and three Michelin starred Alléno Paris, boasting some of the capital’s most sought after tables.
He also has the three Michelin starred Hôtel Le Cheval Blanc in Courcheval, bringing his total number of Michelin stars to nine. Then there are a host of other restaurants in Marrakech, Dubai and Korea.
So why did he decide to add Monaco to the list?
“I think a place like Monaco needs to be on the gastronomic map, it has to be in the game,” said Chef Alleno to Monaco Life. “Plus, I love Monaco and the French Riviera – the history, the architecture, the art… it is such a unique place with very special vibes.”
The Vistamar will be rebranded Yannick Alléno at the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, and the current team will stay on board, including Head Chef Jean-Phillipe Borro.
Yannick Alleno says a cohesion between the two teams is vital to its success.
“It will not be team Alleno against team Vistamar,” he says. “They are happy to see us coming because any reason to preserve staff, particularly right now, is important and courageous. I am very proud to be part of the team. I know we will do a great job.”
The first stage of the transition will include a renovation of the terrace restaurant and a new cuisine. Yannick Alleno will be offering his guests something different while utilising fresh Mediterranean ingredients, adding the famous “Alleno touch”.
That, of course, includes his precious modern sauces created from “extractions”, and his revolutionary sugar-free desserts.
The second shift in 2022 will involve the installation of a glass-house on the terrace, reminiscent of Alleno’s Pavyllon in Paris, and a full interior redesign. The restaurant will have then completed its rebirth and be named Pavyllon at the Hotel-Hermitage Monte-Carlo.
First, Yannick Alleno and the team at the Hermitage hope to open to the public in early April, provided the Covid situation doesn’t derail that plan.
But as any fan of this dynamic, modern chef will tell you, what ever the date, it will be a momentous occasion for the Principality.
Pierre Robert de Latour, aka the Orca Whisperer, talks to Monaco Life about the healing sound of orcas.
Pierre Robert de Latour may have a background in biochemistry, but he has been working with orcas for over 20 years. The founder of USEA (Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance) and Cetody has more than 6,000 dives under his belt with killer whales.
Orcas are one of 90 species of cetaceans – dolphins, porpoises and whales – and they have a complex way of communicating with vocal and body language, as well as emotional communication, suggests Pierre. They have magnificent structured bodies and can travel at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour with endurance. When they move through the water their vocalisations actually change the shape of the water. After so many years working and diving with orcas, Pierre started to realise the healing benefits of their sound waves. Through these amazing experiences, he has been fuelled to create a unique method of healing called Cetody.
In this interview, we unfold the story behind Pierre’s discovery of how orcas echolocation sounds can seemingly heal, detoxify and improve the health and wellbeing of humans as well as each other. Pierre’s wellness facility project located in France is based on the alternative medicine known as sound therapy. The technique of sound healing using instruments such as tuning forks and Tibetan bowls has been around for centuries. Pierre’s facility offers this alternative approach to healing but with a twist – the sound of orcas. He has combined his own experiences, knowledge, science and advanced recording devices to offer people the opportunity to feel and heal with the sound of orcas. Monaco Life: Pierre, can you tell us about Cetody and Cetosonotherapy (CST)?
Pierre Robert de Latour: Cetody is the commercial name of my concept using Cetosonotherapy, which is a technique to heal people. Cetosonotherapy is a holistic method of care that uses the therapeutic virtues of sounds produced by cetaceans. It is part of alternative medicines using the therapeutic properties of sounds that include Sonotherapy (tuning fork, Tibetan bowl…) and Musicotherapy, and is based on the fact that cetaceans have developed the ability to use sounds in the liquid element to communicate between themselves, to locate their prey and also to heal themselves – knowledge that they have been transmitting from generation to generation for millions of years. Can you tell us about a unique healing experience you have personally experienced while diving with orcas?
My strongest experience was during my first attempt at recording the songs of whales and orcas in Norway. It took place after dark. With some crew members, we stopped our boat in the middle of a fjord. We could hear the breaths of cetacean right next to us without being able to see them. When I plugged in the hydrophone, I was mesmerised by the beauty of these songs, by their depth. It was an unforgettable, almost mystical experience. We remained silent, stunned. We looked at each other without being able to speak. Everyone was crying on the boat; beautiful tears of radiant happiness. No one felt the biting cold any more. Orcas and whales were celebrating. What were they celebrating? I still do not know. But these songs that rose from the depths were like a symphony. The symphony of the abyss that healed our souls. You mentioned during our last interview that after 22 years of expeditions with orcas, you believe that they can change and heal us. Can you describe exactly what you mean by that?
This is truly a remarkable point that I have noted over the years. I have guided more than 1,500 snorkelers in underwater close encounters with orcas and whales. Like me, these people all came with their own life experiences, their questions, and their scars. We maintained strong bonds, even when the adventure was over. For the most part, these people have seen their lives changed, and what is notable is that these changes are always in the direction of the “better”. Doubts give way to clairvoyance; choices are more obvious; scars disappear; the pain subsides whether moral or physical. It is this observation that made me seek a reason for these changes, and which made me hypothesise that everything comes from sound. Pierre Robert de Latour applying his CST therapy What do you believe are the benefits of Cetosonotherapy (CST)?
Cetosonotherapy is applied in addition to allopathic diagnosis and modern medicine and, depending on the technique of care applied,
– relieves physiological and psychological imbalances,
– maintains one’s life force, natural balance and youth,
– regenerates tissues, repairs and rejuvenates cells,
– eliminates toxins,
– prevents the appearance of pathologies by strengthening the immune system,
– can accompany pregnancy (preparation for childbirth), menopause or andropause,
– improves sleep, relaxation, general well-being,
– reduces stress, anxiety, tinnitus, phobias, depressive syndromes, some cases of autism,
– promotes concentration,
– increases physical and sports performance (individual and team), and the libido. Once your centre is up and running, what would a CST session consist of?
The sounds used in CST are specifically selected according to my experience for their beneficial effects and come from the following species: orcas, humpback whales, false orcas, dolphins, and sperm whales, recorded with Aquarian Audio hydrophon H1A (1 Hz to 100 KHz), PA1-PIP buffer amp and Zoom H1 Handy Recorder in wav files.
These sounds selected during our tests are called the Healing Cetaceans Sounds (HCS) and their application is achieved through three different Cetosonotherapeutic techniques:
– Cetaceans Sounds Meditation (CSM) involves arranging patients who are lying down in a circle around an acoustic speaker producing the SCR;
– Vibratory Contact Care (VCC), where the principle is to apply the HCS directly in contact with the skin of the patient in specific areas by means of a vibrating speaker. HCSs spread directly in the body;
– Immersive Sound Massage (ISM), where the patient is positioned in a pool or spa with an immersed underwater speaker producing HCS. The sounds propagate in the liquid element at a speed of 1440 m/s due to the density of the water (330 m/s in the air) and reach the target tissues and organs of the organism producing their repairing effects. What message do you have for our readers that can benefit the lives of orcas?
We are spending billions of dollars exploring the stars, looking for some form of extra-terrestrial intelligence, yet beneath the surface lives a brilliant civilisation: cetaceans. We know they are intelligent, that they have a language, but we do not know what they are saying to each other, nor what they are trying to tell us.
We must protect our oceans. Let us protect these magnificent creatures that inhabit them. Let’s discover the secret of their language and access their knowledge. We will then be able to heal ourselves thanks to the song of cetaceans.
The inventor Nikola Tesla used to say: “If you want to unlock the secrets of the universe, you have to think in terms of vibration, frequency and energy”.
I, Pierre the orca whisperer, have a message for Elon Musk: if you want to unravel the secrets of the universe, you have to understand the language of orcas, whales and dolphins. Because, for millions of years, they have already thought in terms of vibration, frequency and energy.
