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Day: 24 October 2022

Relentless Roca Team continue their Betclic charge

by: Luke Entwistle
24/10/2022

AS Monaco Basketball are the only Betclic Elite side with a 100% win record after consolidating their position at the top of the table thanks to a 98-94 victory against Bourg-en-Bresse.

Sunday’s match at the Salle Gaston Médecin followed a very familiar trend: first-half domination gave way to a second-half collapse, but as they did last Thursday, Monaco hung on to prevail.

Sasa Obradovic’s men have become masters of squandering big leads. Firstly against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, then against Panathinaikos and now against Bourg-en-Bresse. On two of those occasions, Monaco have prevailed, but these recurring collapses must be resolved if they are to fight successfully on all fronts.

Ultimately, however, the start of season report is a positive one. Fighting towards the top in the Euroleague, they are also top of the Betclic, and the only side not to lose a domestic fixture this campaign.

In a side that was understandably rotated, Mike James and co-captain Adrien Moerman didn’t even feature in the squad. In their absence, a collective arose with four players scoring over 10-points on the night. Jordan Loyd was the standout with 18-points, closely followed by Elie Okobo with 15.

Post-match, Obradovic was relieved to just have earned the victory amidst a packed schedule: “There is an incredible run of hard games with little rest time and sleep. It is once again the same scenario as against Maccabi and Panathinaikos. We play well for 20 minutes and then we ease up, and in front of us was a good team who took advantage and fought back. In the end, above all it’s important to win this match,” he said.

The Roca Team next head back to Greece to face Olympiakos, their nemesis from last year’s Euroleague campaign.

 

 

Photo by AS Monaco Basket

 

Monaco come off second-best in seven goal thriller

by: Luke Entwistle
24/10/2022

Lille beat Monaco 4-3 in an end-to-end game at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday, allowing Paulo Fonseca’s side to leapfrog Les Monégasques in the table.

Pre-match, Monaco manager Philippe Clement said that he expected a “spectacular” match. It was an accurate prognosis., but he would have preferred to have been proven wrong had it meant taking the three points away from their excursion in northern France.

In a back-and-forth first half, Alexsandro’s head gave Lille the lead before a Lucas Chevalier howler gifted Monaco an equaliser, Caio Henrique’s harmless free-kick squirming through his legs.

Rémi Cabella put Lille back ahead after some good work from Jonathan David. Axel Disasi then tied the scores again in the dying seconds of the first half following a knock-down at a corner.

Monaco then took the lead for the first time in the encounter following a Tiago Djaló howler. Wissam Ben Yedder doesn’t need a second invitation, and he slotted away. He perhaps should have done better with a second opportunity just a minute later, but his hesitancy allowed the defender to recover.

On the swivel, Krépin Diatta had the chance to make it 4-2, but his shot was well smothered by the goalkeeper. Monaco would regret those misses. Cabella restored parity before Jonathan Bamba completed the comeback in what was a topsy-turvy, open affair.

The result sees Monaco drop to seventh. Sunday’s opponent leapfrog Clement’s men into sixth, and the Principality side now find themselves six points off the podium.

Clement’s comments

“As I said before the match, I expected a spectacular match with tow attacking sides looking to win. I think the neutrals enjoyed this tie. We were close to winning it as we had the chances to make it 4-2,” said Clement post-match.

He also regretted the absence of Mohamed Camara, who was suspended for the match. Without him, Monaco struggled to control the field as they often have this season. “We were lacking an important player with the absence of Camara, it is more difficult without him,” he said.

Man of the Match: Wissam Ben Yedder

One of the goal scorers on the night, he was a constant threat with his runs in behind, and he took his goal with clinical efficiency. He has little time to impress France manager Didier Deschamps ahead of the World Cup, but he is taking his chances when they come. Only time will whether he has done enough to force his way back into the international setup.

Monaco next face Ferencváros in the Europa League on Thursday in a game that Clement’s side cannot afford to lose.

 

Photo by AS Monaco

 

Free bus service: the government test is on

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/10/2022

Monaco asks its residents and visitors “What do you think of the free bus service?” in a new online and in-person survey.  

The Monegasque government recently decided to make bus use in the Principality free of charge until 27th November. The goal is to see whether this incentive will change people’s travel habits as the government continues to work toward encouraging the use of public transport to help lessen traffic jams, reduce CO2 emissions, and to bring about a better quality of life in general.  

Now the government has announced the launch of a public survey to determine whether or not the measure has been effective.  

Passengers will be asked to fill out an online survey answering some basic questions about their current bus usage, which can be accessed via the website enquete-web.alyce.fr or by scanning a QR code.  

Additionally, representatives of the survey company, Alyce, will be on hand at certain bus stops on 8th, 22nd and 24th November from 6am to 8pm, asking passengers to answer a quick questionnaire about their usual travel routines and expectations to help them better assess the public transport situation and attitudes toward it in Monaco.  

 

 

Photo source: Monaco Communications Department

Everything you need to know about Tuesday’s solar eclipse

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/10/2022

On Tuesday, a partial solar eclipse will take place during the day. Here is some information on how to see it from Monaco and the French Riviera safely.

According to the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMCCE), a partial solar eclipse of 11.7% will be observable on 25th October between 11:22am and 1:04pm local time.

It will be visible from Europe, northeast Africa and central Asia. It won’t be observable at all in North America.

As exciting as the phenomenon is, it can also be incredibly dangerous, as observation with the naked eye or with quality sunglasses, even for a very brief moment, can cause irreversible damage to the retina leading to loss of vision.

A partial solar eclipse can only safely be viewed through solar filters, typically a pair of solar eclipse glasses – those that ensure a transmission of only  1/100,000th. They are not easy to find, so people should make sure that the glasses come from a reliable source such as an optician or pharmacy, and that they are not fake.

The special glasses can not be used, however, in conjunction with a magnifying instrument such as binoculars or telescope – this can actually magnify the sun’s damaging wavelengths.

It is also recommended that people take regular breaks after a few minutes of observation to allow the eyes to rest and avoid damage.

 

Photo credit: Justin Dickey on Unsplash

 

 

 

Verstappen makes history on emotional day in Texas

by: Luke Entwistle
24/10/2022

Max Verstappen pulled off a late overtake on Lewis Hamilton to secure a record-equalling 13th victory of the season, which also sealed Red Bull’s constructors’ title. 

Red Bull made heavy work of the victory, which was registered just hours after the death of the team’s founder Dietrich Mateschitz, in what was an emotionally-charged afternoon at the American Grand Prix.

Verstappen, as he so often has been this season, was clearly the fastest on track. It looked as though no one would stand in his way as he attempted to equal Michael Schumacher’s 13 wins in an F1 season.

The Dutch driver was aided by an opening corner crash involving George Russell and Carlos Sainz. Whilst the Brit escaped relatively unscathed, albeit with a 5-second penalty, Sainz’s race was ended. Yet another Ferrari pole would go unconverted, although there was nothing that they could have done about it on this occasion.

Sainz was out of the picture, whilst Charles Leclerc, starting 12th on the gird following a grid penalty, was in contention for the podium, but not for the race win.

The Monégasque’s efforts to come through the field were aided by two safety cars, the second brought out following a heavy incident between Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. The latter miraculously managed to continue, although after finishing in the point-scoring positions, he was handed a heavy 30-second penalty due to the unsafe conditions in which his Alpine limped to the line.

At the front, Verstappen looked to be easing to victory, but a rare Red Bull error during his last pit stop left him with time and positions to make up. Following the 11-second stop, he came out behind Leclerc. However, a lot has changed since the start of the season, and the ease with which Verstappen made the pass was symptomatic of the different trajectories that Red Bull’s and Ferrari’s seasons have taken.

With the laps ticking down, Verstappen honed in on Hamilton, evoking a sense of nostalgia from last year’s fierce title rivalry. But the thing about nostalgia is that it is merely a replication of the past, and it certainly isn’t the present.

Whereas last season the pair were evenly matched, the Mercedes, whilst improved is nowhere near the Red Bull. The overtake predictably completed, Verstappen took the chequered flag, registering his record-equalling victory and securing Red Bull’s first constructors’ title since 2013.

Hamitlon took second and Leclerc, in an impressive recovery drive, finished on the bottom step of the podium.

Speaking post-race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, “When we learned of Dietrich’s passing, it was emotional for the whole team because he’s such a giant of a man and has done so much not just for Red Bull Racing, but also for F1.”

He continued, “We felt determined to go out and really honour him in a way that would make him proud so there were no black armbands and no minute’s silence. There was the embodiment of celebrating him, and the best way to do that was the performance on circuit. After eight long years, we have never stopped believing, and never lost sight of our goals, which were to get back on to the top of both world championships and we’ve done that.”

With both titles secured, the grid next heads to Mexico, where Verstappen will be looking to be the outright custodian of the season wins record.

 

Photo by Scuderia Ferrari

 

La Rocca: work starts on haute cuisine restaurant in Ventimiglia

by: Elsa Carpenter
24/10/2022

Building works have begun on a new haute cuisine restaurant in Ventimiglia’s vibrant Cala del Forte port district.  

The symbolic first stone was laid at the La Rocca restaurant late last week in a ceremony led by developer Marina Development Corporation (MDC).  

Situated just below the impressive Forte dell’Annunziata and neighbouring the Borgo del Forte development, the new restaurant is part of the major regeneration project for Ventimiglia’s seafront and its Cala del Forte port masterplan. It will encompass two floors with seating for 200, and offer spectacular panoramic views from its 600m2 of outdoor terraces – almost half of La Rocca’s total surface area.  

The restaurant will be accessible from the quay of Cala del Forte via a lift as well as on foot from the soon-to-be built promenade that will link the port with the Borgo del Forte quarter.  

MDC says it is currently in talks with a number of Michelin star chefs and restaurateurs, who it hopes will come together to manage the La Rocca restaurant. 

The establishment will join several other new addresses in Ventimiglia, such as Antica Gelateria d’Autore in the historic centre and two chic restaurants, Venti in Place Colletta and DRY Ventimiglia on the Promenade Marconi.  

“The laying of this first stone [at La Rocca] is an emblematic moment that marks the concrete start of urban regeneration in the Marina di Ventimiglia,” said MDC President and CEO Giuseppe Noto. “With it, the project to revitalise the city by transforming its neglected neighbourhoods into high-end facilities begins to take shape.” 

Borea d’Olmo, the president and CEO of Cala del Forte, reaffirmed his hopes that the wide-reaching redevelopment in Ventimiglia would help propel the area to prominence, making it “a destination of excellence on the Italian and international scene”.  

 

 

Photo sources: SEC Newgate/Marina Development Corporation

 

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