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Month: January 2022

Formidable James fires Roca team to victory

by: Luke Entwistle
14/01/2022

AS Monaco Basketball narrowly beat Bayern Munich 78-83 in an empty Audi Dome on Thursday. A 26-point haul from an on-form Mike James proved the difference.

The hall echoed with the sounds of squeaking trainers and bouncing basketballs, Germany’s latest Covid restrictions preventing anyone attending what was a tight contest in Bavaria. The important win puts them level on wins with the German side in the Euroleague, whilst it reignites hopes that they could yet clinch the all-important eight place that would see them qualify for next year’s competition.

James started imperiously and didn’t relent. His eight points in the opening 10 minutes, combined with some good work from Donatas Motiejunas, gave AS Monaco a slender first-quarter lead.

The game remained close in the second quarter, both teams matching each other blow for blow. James’ spectacular, on-the-buzzer three-pointer on the stroke of half-time sent Monaco into the dressing room with a healthy, but far from comfortable, five point lead.

Bayern quickly set about reducing the meagre deficit and five unreplied points from Deshaun Thomas restored parity soon after the break. There was no stopping James, however; the American point guard continued to impress registering points and assists almost at will.

Having narrowly edged each quarter, Monaco went into the fourth with an eight-point lead. Bayern applied the pressure early-on and incrementally reduced the gap between the sides. But that pressure dissipated when James registered yet another three-pointer to extend their lead back to over seven with just over a minute on the clock.

The lack of fans meant the game ended in muted fashion, but there is no underestimating the importance of the win. Roca team coach Sasa Obradovic said after the match, “This victory means a lot for us, for our confidence and for having faith in our game. We have really improved defensively, but there is still a margin for progression.”

The progress being shown can be attributed in part to the extended break that Monaco have recently had. The side’s two previous Euroleague matches have been postponed due to Covid cases, leaving Obradovic extra time to drill his players.

The Serbian manager will be hoping to build on their progress when they visit Nanterre in the Betclic Elite on Saturday.

 

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

 

 

 

Clement prepares for his home debut

by: Luke Entwistle
14/01/2022

AS Monaco face Clermont Foot on Sunday with Philippe Clement set to take charge at the Stade Louis II for the first time, as fans received some good news pre-match.

On Friday it was revealed that the club has received an exemption for the match, allowing them to welcome up to 5,000 fans at the Stade Louis II, rather than the 2,000 previously outlined in the latest government guidelines.

Those who attend will see Philippe Clement take charge of his first match in the Principality, having made his debut away to Nantes last Sunday. With the return of many players, affected by both injury and by Covid, Clement has some difficult decisions to make.

Monaco Life attended training at La Turbie on Friday and can reveal that after a lengthy absence, Cesc Fabregas is once again back in group training for the Principality side, but Clement later confirmed in the press conference that he won’t be ready for Sunday. Last week’s Covid absentees: Wissam Ben Yedder, Axel Disasi and Youssouf Fofana were also present. On their chances of playing against Clermont, Clement said, “I think they’ll be ready, but it’ll be difficult for them for the 90 minutes.”

AS Monaco are also still licking their wounds from last week’s fixture. The trio of Myron Boadu, Benoit Badiashile and Djibril Sidibe all went off injured and were not involved in training, nor was Aleksandr Golovin, who is still recovering from an abdominal injury. On their chances of playing on Sunday, Clement said, “Three of them are out (Boadu, Badiashile and Sidibe) and Golovin is doubtful, very doubtful.”

Clement told Monaco Life that the lack of fitness of some of his forward players could lead to him once again selecting Caio Henrique in the number 10 position. “I think at the moment we don’t have a number 10 used to playing as a playmaker. There are different players with different qualities, and we’re going to treat it match by match.”

Monaco come up against Clermont Foot at a good time, and they will be hoping to do the double over a side that they beat 3-1 earlier in the season. The side are winless in their last three matches, and sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Clermont are also considerably weakened by the absence of star striker and top scorer Mohamed Bayo, who is playing in the Africa Cup of Nations. The Guinean striker caused Monaco lots of problems in the reverse fixture, scoring the opener for his side.

The game kicks off at 3pm on Sunday at the Stade Louis II, and Clement will be hoping to build on last week’s steady start at Nantes.

Watch Friday’s training session here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CYtpNM9lKUy/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

 

Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Weekend ski report: 14th to 16th January

by: Luke Entwistle
13/01/2022

Conditions continue to be mild at the region’s ski resorts, with sunny skies throughout the weekend, no snowfall, and temperatures up to a balmy 12°C.

Isola 2000 – There are 20 ski slopes and 14 ski lifts open at Isola, coupled with 70 to 55cm of snow, however no snow is expected over the weekend. It is forecast to be entirely sunny with highs of 9°C and lows of -4°C. The col de la Bonette and la Lombarde roads are closed until the end of the winter season.

Auron – There are currently 21 ski slopes and 13 ski lifts open at the resort, with around 30cm of standing snow. Sunny skies are forecast for the weekend and highs of 8°C, lows of -1°C. There will also be winds of up to 26 km/h on Friday. In terms of access, Route de la Tinée, Route de la Bonette, Piste de la Moustière, Piste de Demandols all remain closed.

Les Deux Alpes – This resort is boasting 76 ski slopes and 38 ski lifts open. There is already 50cm of standing snow and clear skies are expected this weekend. There will be lows of -6°C and highs of 6°C.

La Colmiane – There are currently 10 ski slopes and 5 ski lifts open at the resort with between 40 and 30 cm of standing snow. As it is throughout the region, it is expected to be sunny over the weekend with winds of up to 40 km/h on Friday. There will be highs of 8°C and lows of -1°C. The resort hasn’t reported any road closures.

Greolieres les Neiges – As usual, this small resort has the least amount of snow in the region, with 20cm and no further snow forecast over the weekend. It will be sunny though throughout the weekend though with a balmy top of 12°C. The resort isn’t reporting any road closures. There are currently five ski lifts open.

Limone Piemonte – There are currently 11 runs open at the resort and 10 ski lifts. There is a minimum of 10cm of snow throughout the resort and a maximum of 45cm in places. Visibility should be good throughout the weekend. It is expected to be sunny with lows of -1°C and highs of 11°C. Passage through the Roya valley currently isn’t possible due to the collapsed bridge at Tende. Drivers must instead pass through Ventimiglia and the journey from Monaco is currently approximately 3 hours.

Valberg – There are 18 ski slopes and 11 ski lifts open. The resort currently has 40cm of standing snow, and it has not snowed since 25th December. It is expected to be sunny all weekend with highs of 10°C and lows of 2°C.

 

Note: Snow tyres must be worn on the roads up to the ski resorts.

 

 

Photo source: Isola 2000 webcam

 

 

 

Arthur Leclerc re-signs with Prema Racing

by: Luke Entwistle
13/01/2022

Monégasque driver Arthur Leclerc has signed on for a second year at F3 team Prema, whilst continuing in the Ferrari Drivers’ Academy in 2022.

Leclerc finished 10th in the drivers’ standings in his debut season in F3, registering two victories in the process as well as a pole position and second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Last year’s team-mate Dennis Hauger ended the season as F3 champion and has subsequently found himself a seat in F2 for next season.

The goal this year for Leclerc will be to reach the heights of his former team-mate, and he says he is excited for the start of the season.

“I am extremely happy to continue the work we started with Prema racing,” said the 21-year-old in a press statement. “I think we did a good job last year, and 2022 will be a good opportunity to put together everything we have learned so far. I cannot wait for the start of the season.”

Prema team principal Rene Rosin expressed his delight at retaining Leclerc’s services, adding, “I am sure that he will carry on the progress we saw in 2021 when he showed he had the potential to be a front runner.”

Arthur will be hoping that a positive season will help him progress along the same trajectory as his brother Charles, the current Ferrari F1 driver.

The season gets under way at the same time and place as the F1 season, on 18th March in Bahrain.

 

 

Photo source: Ferrari Scuderia Media Centre

 

 

 

These are the workers who must present health pass from Monday

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/01/2022

The Monaco government has released a full list of industries which will be affected by the new compulsory health pass for workers, which takes effect from Monday 17th January.

Due to a “significant epidemic rebound”, the government last week announced that it will extend the health pass obligation to encompass workers in certain public and private sectors deemed necessary to the continual functioning of society.

The goal, they say, is to “ensure that the epidemic rebound does not disrupt the economic and social life of the Principality of Monaco,” but it does not cover every employee in every category. They are leaving the decision of who should be included in the obligatory list and who it is not necessary for to the discretion of management.

A valid health pass shows that a person is fully vaccinated, has recently recovered from the virus or has presented a negative Covid test. Without this pass, the affected employees will not be allowed to work.

The complete list of selected entities is as follows:

– Prince’s Palace.

– Ministry of State.

– National council.

– Directorate of Judicial Services.

– Ministerial Departments.

– Embassy of Monaco in France.

– Town hall.

– Monegasque Digital Security Agency.

– General Control of Expenses.

– Corps of the Prince’s Carabinieri.

– Interministerial Delegation in charge of Digital Transition.

– Department of Health Action.

– Department of Urban Planning.

– Directorate of Civil Aviation.

– Communications management

– Directorate of Public Security.

– Department of Maritime Affairs.

– Department of Platforms and Digital Resources.

– Department of Digital Services.

– Management information systems.

– Department of Public Works.

– Directorate of Budget and Treasury.

– Maintenance Service for Public Buildings

– Public Parking Service.

– General Treasury of Finances.

– Banks.

– Monaco Bus Company.

– Mediterranean Pharmaceutical Counter

– LTP Technologies.

– Monaco Digital.

– Monaco Telecom.

– Monaco Ports Operating Company.

– Monegasque Sanitation Company.

– Monaco Electricity and Gas Company.

– Monegasque Water Company.

-Telis.

– Trafiparc

The mandatory health pass for workers rule will remain in force until at least the end of February.

 

 

 

Photo by Jeremy Bazanger on Unsplash

 

 

 

Countdown to the 90th Monte-Carlo Automobile Rally

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/01/2022

The 2022 edition of the Monte-Carlo Automobile Rally, which kicks off on Monday, will have all the thrills of previous years and a few twists to give fans something new to sink their teeth into. 

The 90th Monte-Carlo Automobile Rally, the inaugural round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), will run this year from 17th to 23rd January.

For the first time since 2006, the service park will stay entirely in the Principality, giving fans a chance to venture down to the Port to see the action. Additionally, this year’s course will be modified by a full 95% from the previous race, combining originality and challenges the whole way through.

One notable change is that the part of the course that goes to Gap, a staple of the route since 2014, will be excluded this year, rerouted instead to Monaco.

The first three days, the 17th to the 19th, will be devoted to reconnaissance, with the official kick-off on 20thJanuary at 6:45pm on the Place du Casino, an exciting new extra to the roster. The Monaco-centric feel to this year’s event coincides with the 90th edition celebrations which are being put on by the Organising Committee of the Automobile Club de Monaco.

The opening night will feature a 38.45-kilometre timed race from Lucéram to Lantosque and La Bollène-Vésubie to Moulinet, serving as the ‘Nuit du Turini 2022’.

The first full day, the 21st, will be a 97.86-kilometre race against the clock in a loop with three stages that will be done twice. It starts with the Roure to Beuil portion, then on to Guillaumes, Péone  and Valberg, and finally,the Val-de-Chalvagne to Entrevaux section.

Day three will be in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region and will cover 92.46 kilometres. The day begins with Le Fugeret to Thorame-Haute. Then it’s time for a loop to be run twice, interspersed with a pit stop and a compulsory regroup in Digne-les-Bains. With the new Saint-Jeannet to Malijai and Saint-Geniez to Thoard routings via Authon and the dreaded Col de Fontbelle, this new day will be a true challenge.

The final day will see 67.26 kilometres covered in the Alpes-Maritimes hinterlands. Two events will be run twice, including the brand new timed section of La Penne to Collongues and one introduced last year, Briançonnet / Entrevaux via the Col du Buis and the Val-de-Chalvagne, which will act as a Power Stage during the second passage. 

Return to the Principality is scheduled for around 2pm and will be followed by the prize-giving ceremony in the Place du Casino.

 

Photo by McKlein / M-Sport