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Month: January 2022

Riviera airport saw higher traffic than expected in 2021

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/01/2022

Nice Côte d’Azur airport ended 2021 with over 6.5 million passengers passing through, higher than expected and fuelled mainly by a strong summer season and the return of long-haul flights.  

Despite tough health measures, travel restrictions and fears of border closures, Nice Côte d’Azur welcomed intrepid travellers back with open arms last year.

The airport reports that 6.54 million commercial passengers passed through last year, a recovery rate of 45%. This was primarily obtained in the second half of the year when lockdown measures had been lifted and summer spawned a spate of travellers returning to the region.

Most of the visitors were domestic or from Schengen countries, which saw recovery rates of 69% and 39.8% respectively, but even the international routes improved, with nearly a quarter of long-haul traffic returning.

“This recovery of passenger traffic, and more specifically of long-haul flights, attests to how attractive our region is, and to the airlines’ and passengers’ confidence in the health and safety measures that have been implemented, and allows us to be optimistic for the year to come, as we already have a large number of destinations – particularly transatlantic ones – in our provisional flight programme for the 2022 summer season,” said Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.

During this same period, Nice Côte d’Azur has also reported a total bounce back of business flights to pre-pandemic levels.

Though the airport is delighted to be welcoming back more passengers, it is still hugely committed to doing so responsibly. The airport, which has been carbon neutral since 2016, gained the highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation, level 4+, in 2021, signifying emission reductions that have dipped below neutral into the positive. This has been done with the help of plant-based carbon sinks near terminals as well as implementing innovations to reduce its carbon footprint, such as removing the gas heating in Terminal 1 and replacing it in autumn 2021 with a temperature water loop whose energy stems from the Metropole’s wastewater network, representing 700 tonnes of CO2 saved per year.

“Receiving the level 4+ Airport Carbon Accreditation isn’t a greenwashing operation. It represents the factual and international recognition of a sincere commitment and an ambitious and unprecedented action plan,” Mr Goldnadel explained. “When we reduce the absolute value of our direct emissions, we help to protect our region. This involves taking numerous actions, being innovative and looking for solutions that help to reconcile air transport with air quality requirements on a daily basis. In the future, low-emission airplanes will take off and land on totally neutral airports. This is the course of history, and we want to be the leading laboratory in this field.”

The airport is also looking to the future of aviation, encouraging the use of bio-fuels by major carriers, as was seen in the September Air France flight connecting Nice to Paris in a plane using 30% sustainable aviation fuel, a first on this scale.

Electric flights are also being experimented with in Nice, as was seen when Prince Albert II took an historic e-flight just a few days prior.

Finally, they have created the Urban Blue project, which works to design and implement the necessary infrastructures for developing e-VTOLs, electric vehicles that are able to transport passengers without using energy from fossil fuels.

 

 

 

Weekend Ski Report: 21st to 23rd January

by: Luke Entwistle
20/01/2022

It is expected to be another mild, sunny weekend at the region’s ski resorts with plenty of standing snow, while Valberg will be hosting a Monte-Carlo Rallye event on Friday.

Isola 2000 – There are currently 20 ski slopes and 14 ski lifts open at Isola. There is 70-55 cm of snow at the resort, however no further snow is expected over the weekend, and the snow canons are in full force. Similar to last week, it is forecast to be entirely sunny over the weekend. There will be highs of 6°C and lows of -6°C. The col de la Bonette and la Lombarde roads are closed until the end of the winter season. There is a local products market taking place at the resort on Saturday.

Auron – There are currently 22 ski slopes and 11 ski lifts open at the resort and around 30cm of standing snow. It is expected to be entirely sunny over the weekend with highs of 6°C and lows of -5°C. There will also be winds of up to 28 km/h on Saturday. 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 – There is a large choice of runs at the resort with 79 ski slopes and 38 ski lifts currently open, and 50cm of soft standing snow. It is expected to be sunny throughout the weekend. Friday will be chilly with lows of -9°C and highs of 5°C. Saturday will also see the ninth edition of the night-time snow trail event, with a variety of trails available from 5-20 km.

La Colmiane – There are currently 10 ski slopes and five ski lifts open at the resort, with between 40 and 30cm of standing snow, the last falling on 27th December. As it is throughout the region, it is expected to be sunny over the weekend with winds of up to 51 km/h on Saturday. There will be highs of 5°C and lows of -6°C. The resort hasn’t reported any road closures.

Greolieres les Neiges – There is currently 40cm of artificial standing snow at the resort. It will be sunny throughout the weekend with highs of 6°C and lows of -2°C. The resort isn’t reporting any road closures. There are currently five ski lifts open.

Limone Piemonte – There are currently 16 runs open at the resort and 11 ski-lifts, with a minimum of 10cm of snow and a maximum of 45cm in places. The last snowfall at the resort was on 27th December. Visibility should be good throughout the weekend. It is expected to be sunny with lows of -4°C and highs of 8°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 three hours.

Valberg – There are 18 ski slopes and 11 ski lifts open. The resort currently has 40cm of standing snow.  It is expected to be sunny all weekend with highs of 8°C and lows of 0°C. Due to the Rallye Monte-Carlo, La Route de Guillaumes to Valberg, via Peone, will be closed on Friday. Guillaume, Peron, and Valberg will be hosting a special event for the rally, including 75 cars on two different runs, both of which happen on Friday.

 

 

Photo source: Snowy screenshot from Les Deux Alpes Webcam

 

 

 

Here’s this year’s Sainte Devote schedule  

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/01/2022

The celebration of Sainte Devote, Monaco’s Patron Saint, will be held next week, and again this year the Principality is taking adapted measures to ensure the health and safety of all who wish to participate.

Sainte Devote, the 4th century Christian martyr, is celebrated every year on 27th January in the Principality.

Legend states that Devota, who was born in Corsica, was imprisoned and tortured for her faith by the Romans and after crushing her jaw and dragging her body over rocks and brambles, she was eventually killed by either being racked or stoned to death. 

After her death, she was placed on a boat that landed in Monaco, where she was duly buried in a plot near the chapel that now bears her name. Since her interment in Monaco, it is said that flowers bloom out of season to mark her 27th January burial.

In the 17th century, Honoré II declared Devote patroness of Monaco. In 1874, a more formalised tradition sprung up, securing her position with an annual celebration. The observance begins on the night of the 26thwith a boat being burned on a stake in front of the chapel with the Princely family in attendance. Fireworks then light up the sky of the port. 

On the 27th, a mass is then held at the Cathedral followed by a procession, with the participation of penitents of the Archconfraternity of Mercy, heads for the Prince’s Palace with the shrine containing relics, and escorted by the Prince’s Carabinieri.

Once at the Place du Palais, an Honour Guard and the Prince’s Carabinieri orchestra pay homage to her. The Princely family is then blessed using the relics, then the procession heads to the ramparts where the entire populace is blessed and finally the fishermen and the sea are blessed, ending the ceremony involving the relics.

This is how a normal year would play out, but again this year, there is no such luxury of being normal. Despite that, the celebrations will go on, just in a muted way.

Version 2022 will see only authorised people taking part in the relic reception, the procession, and the blessing at Sainte Devote Chapel. The public will not be able to access Place Sainte Devote during the ceremony.

The boat burning will take place, but this year it will be on the Quai Albert I’s north side and there will be no fireworks display after.

From 5:30pm on the 26th, the Quai Albert I will be accessed only through the gallery and only a hundred people will be allowed in the seated public area in order to stay in compliance with health measures, though a giant screen will be set up to allow the greatest number of people possible the chance to witness the event.

One hour before the 5:30pm cut-off, the reception area will be open to the public from the pedestrian crossing located at the corner of Boulevard Albert Ier and Rue Princesse Antoinette.

For reasons of public health, people will not be allowed to recover nails from the boat, as is usual tradition.

The train access near Sainte Devote will be closed from 5:30pm to pedestrian traffic, as well. To access the station, from or towards rue Grimaldi, the public is being asked to take the Galerie Sainte-Dévote. Additionally, the Sainte Dévote stairs will be closed from 5:30pm.

From 5:30pm to 7pm, the swimming pool road will be closed between Avenue JF Kennedy and the Jules Soccal wharf, and between 6:45pm and 7:45pm, occasional traffic cuts will be made on Boulevard Albert Ier and Avenue d’Ostende, to allow the event to run smoothly.

Slight delays will be expected in urban transport lines 1-2 and 6, and interurban transport lines 100 and 110, during the traffic cuts referred to above. With regard to public car parks, information will be given to users via posters affixed to the access terminals to the car parks.

 

 

Photo source: Government Communication Department

 

 

 

Government reports new Covid-related death

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/01/2022

A 72-year-old has become the latest Covid victim in Monaco, and the third in just over a week.

The government revealed the fatality on Wednesday 19th January. It comes following the deaths of a 91-year-old resident and 100-year-old on 11th January. The total number of Covid-19 positive patients to die in the Principality since the pandemic began is 45.   

In addition to the death, there were another 98 new cases revealed on Wednesday, bringing the daily total under the three-digit mark in what is hopefully the start of a downward trend. There have been 7,041 people affected by the virus in Monaco all together.

As of Wednesday evening, there were 44 people under the care of Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG). Forty people, including 23 residents, are in a non-critical ward, whilst the final four, one resident included, are being treated in intensive care.

The Home Monitoring Centre is looking after 317 patients who have milder symptoms and are not in need of constant medical assistance.

The incidence rate in Monaco has stabilised for the first time since October, sitting this week at 1,953.

ASM tactical analysis: Flexibility, pigeons and the no.10 role

by: Luke Entwistle
19/01/2022

Philippe Clement’s reign as Monaco manager is only two games old, but the Belgian is wasting no time in implementing his style. However, he told Monaco Life that there are still issues to resolve.

AS Monaco’s emphatic 4-0 victory put paid to any notion that Clement wouldn’t be able to produce the same kind of attacking football that won him three consecutive league titles in his home country.

In the post-match press conference on Sunday, Clement once again set out the style in which he wants his team to perform. “We want to play a type of football that is very offensive, with a lot of plays within the opposition half, with a lot of players making forward runs.”

Despite a positive showing, it is clear that Clement is – understandably – still experimenting in order to find his best system.

Formational flexibility

The interchangeability, especially in the forward positions, made it difficult to discern Monaco’s formation for large periods, especially during the first-half. In the opening stages, Monaco were seemingly deploying a 3-1-4-2, but the emphasis under Clement has been more defined by player roles rather than positions, and the team’s set-up is more easily understood through this lens.

Aurelien Tchouameni played throughout as the deepest lying no.6 midfielder, Ismail Jakobs and Gelson Martins provided the width on the flanks, with the former slotting into a more conventional back four out of possession. Jean Lucas had the most fluid role, sometimes dropping deep to form a pivot with Tchouameni, filling in for Martins on the right flank and forming a dual no.10 role with Caio Henrique, who was once again deployed further up the pitch, at least in the first-half.

Within this there was a lot of interchangeability with Jakobs often switching with Henrique on the left, Jean Lucas switching with Martins on the right and Sofiane Diop often dropping deeper into the half-spaces between the two wide players.

On numerous occasions, this created scenarios where six Monaco players were playing on the Clermont back-line providing plenty of opportunities for overloads, especially on the flanks.

Jakobs departure for Wissam Ben Yedder at half-time triggered a change in shape, with Henrique retreating to his more familiar left-back berth and the team setting up in a more conventional 4-2-3-1. Kevin Volland dropped back into a no.10 role, Diop reverted back to his wide-left position, Martins played more as a conventional winger and Jean Lucas joined Tchouameni in defensive midfield.

By the end of the match, Monaco’s set-up had changed once again into a 4-4-2, or a 4-2-2-2, with Henrique and Ruben Aguilar providing the majority of the width, which was duly exploited by the former who netted his first goal for the club.

The reason for this is two-fold, as Clement explained to Monaco Life, “For the moment we are missing quite a few important players, so it’s getting to know the players and experimenting and reacting to situations.” The former Club Brugge manager added, “I always want to create wherever I am, not a team that can play one system because that’s too easy for the opponent to stop, but a versatile group of players that can play in different systems, in different ways.”

The formational tinkering for Clement therefore serves a purpose both in the short-term and in the long-term as he seeks to mould a team in his image.

The search for a No.10 continues

Volland, Diop, Henrique and Jean Lucas have all undertaken the task of being Monaco’s no.10 under Clement. However, none have yet fulfilled the manager’s criteria for the playmaker role. Following the victory against Clermont, he told Monaco Life, “You have Caio, Kevin, Sofiane and Jean Lucas who can play there in different ways. Maybe there will be other players who also show themselves because it’s a nice role to play.”

All of the aforementioned players had the opportunity to play in the role on Sunday, either on their own or in a dual 10 partnership. Questioned by Monaco Life on Diop’s suitability to the role in particular, Clement said, “Sofiane has qualities to play in this position, but he’s not a typical playmaker… he’s not someone who distributes a lot of balls.”

The new manager therefore demands a lot from his playmaker, and he outlined the three specific characteristics that he is looking for in his ideal conceptualisation of the role. “You can be decisive with a pass, a run or a finish. I hope to find someone who can do all of these. That would be very nice”

Aleksandr Golovin, a more conventional no.10 has yet to play since Clement’s arrival due to injury, and could well be the solution to the issue. “We’ll see over the next couple of weeks and months.” In that time, Clement is hoping that someone internally can posit themselves as a genuine candidate for the role. However, Clement’s citation of a two-week time frame, coincidentally the amount of time remaining in the transfer window, at least hints at the possibility that an external candidate could be on the cards.

Pigeons and action zones

The large flock of pigeons that guarded the space behind the Monaco defence in sweeper like fashion for large parts of the match caught the attention of many in attendance, including the cameraman. Their presence and ignorance to the ongoing match was a reflection of how dominant Monaco were, how little of the game was played in their own third.

A meagre 23% of the game was played in Monaco’s third, compared to the 32% played in the Clermont third. Even more starkly, Monaco had 168 touches in the opposition third and 33 touches in Clermont’s penalty area. Their opponents could only muster 108 touches in Monaco’s third and only eight touches in their area.

The pigeons’ presence was merely a visual representation of this dominance, illustrating almost comically how little threat was posed by the away side. Key to Monaco’s success at repelling Clermont’s threat was Clement’s insistence on occupying en-masse the opposition half. This condensed the space and subsequently blocked passing lanes that were essential to Clermont’s ball progression.

Tchouameni was also integral to Monaco’s success. The Frenchman, far from having plateaued under Niko Kovac’s stewardship, has kicked on even further since Clement’s arrival. Having provided an exhibition in intercepting and progressing the ball against Nantes the week before, his tackling came to the fore on Sunday. His eight tackles in the match are more than he has registered in any other game in the 2021-2022 season.

Clement is clearly still trying to get all the pieces of the puzzle to fit, but it’s always a good sign if the team can collect some confidence-boosting, emphatic victories in the process.

 

 

Photo of Philippe Clement by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Focus on breast cancer at Oncology Biennial

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/01/2022

The 15th Monegasque Oncology Biennial will kick off at the end of January, highlighting the latest major advances in oncology, pharmaceuticals and haematology, but this year, the spotlight is on breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer to strike women. Over 2.2 million cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2020, and in France it is the leading cause of cancer death amongst women, causing more than 11,000 mortalities each year.

This form of cancer accounts for one-third of all cases in women in France and 54,000 new cases are detected annually. Globally, it is estimated that 10% of the female population will be confronted with breast cancer during their lifetimes.

These terrifying statistics have put breast cancer front in centre over the past several years, marking it as a major health concern.

Widespread screening and awareness programmes have made early detection possible and have given many women the chance to successfully battle the disease. Significant advances in therapy and treatment have also raised the bar, giving those diagnosed a five-year survival rate of 87%, the highest survival rate for cancer in France.

For this reason, the 15th Monegasque Cancer Biennial has decided to focus this year on the current innovations and the latest ways of offering treatment and care.

“The sessions devoted to breast cancer are one of the key events this year,” says Professor Xavier Pivot, President of the 15th Monegasque Biennial of Cancerology. “Advances in biotechnology which allow the use of new loaded antibodies have changed the way patients are treated. These treatments have increased the life expectancy of many women with aggressive cancers and the number of those who are definitively cured. In the context of targeted therapies, the presentations will show in particular the treatments using CDK 4/6 inhibitors which bring major benefits in the treatment of these cancers in the metastatic phase and probably permanent cures, when these treatments intervene in the early phase of the development of the disease.”

The Monegasque Cancer Biennial has been instrumental in bringing together francophone health professionals for the past 30 years to present and assess advances in diagnostics, therapeutic treatments,patient care, and available screening and treatment technologies.

This year’s edition is set to attract 1,200 doctors, researchers, professors and students to 76 talks and sessions, open to all. 

The event will be held at the Grimaldi Forum from 26th to 29th January. For more information, the program and for registration, visit https://biennalecancerologie.org/2022/

 

 

Photo source: National Cancer Institute, Unsplash