After the torrential rains of the day before, the nearly 300 registered participants of this year’s Pink Ribbon Walk were greeted at the start line on Sunday by a smiling Prince Albert II under a glorious blue sky.
Held on 11th February, the five-kilometre circuit departed Port Hercule for the Palais Princier de Monaco and the Musée Océanographique on the Rock before heading east to the Terrasses du Casino de Monte-Carlo.
The 2024 Pink Ribbon Walk circuit took participants past some of Monaco’s most emblematic sites, including the Palais Princier. Photo credit: Arsi Sebastien Photographe
“We are extremely honoured to have the walk opened by HSH Prince Albert, who, yet again offered his support and well wishes to our association and the work we accomplish,” Natasha Frost-Savio, the founder of Pink Ribbon Monaco, told Monaco Life. “The organisation was absolutely impeccable as usual thanks to the teams at Monaco Run Gramaglia, who outdid themselves, especially with the appalling weather they suffered for their first trial event. We would also like to give a special nod to Paula Radcliffe’s first event in Monaco, Families on Track. It was a really wonderful moment that shone bright despite the (previous day’s) weather.”
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Natasha Frost-Savio, the founder of Pink Ribbon Monaco, are pictured at the start line in Port Hercule. Photo credit: Arsi Sebastien Photographe
The fun run, which also welcomes those who prefer a slower walking pace, is one of Pink Ribbon Monaco’s flagship events and has helped raise thousands of euros in donations over its 12-year history.
In 2024, all profits raised from the Pink Ribbon Walk and the charity’s other events will go towards a new scientific study on lobular breast cancer detection that is being spearheaded by Doctor Florent Hugonnet at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace.
To find out more about the charity and how you can donate to this worthy cause, click here.
Click on the images below to see more from the Pink Ribbon Walk:
The Collège Charles III on Avenue de l’Annonciade has been given the green light to reopen after it was temporarily closed to all students and staff last week in the wake of an accidental leak of noxious gases that caused the hospitalisation of seven individuals.
Five pupils and two members of the maintenance team were briefly hospitalised following the incident, which occurred during routine works in the swimming pool area of the school on Wednesday 7th February. They have since been released in good health.
As reported by Monaco Life at the time, a chemical reaction is said to have generated toxic vapours that spread to the classrooms, with students in 6e and 5e classes particularly affected.
The school was immediately closed and, the following morning, the Monaco Government brought in two teams to perform NRBC-E (nuclear, radiological, bacteriological and chemical) tests in various parts of the establishment, including in the classrooms, corridors, cafeteria and nurse’s station, with a particular focus on the source site of the problem, the swimming pool maintenance room.
Over the weekend, the results of the tests carried out by the Marseille Fire Brigade’s Identification and Sampling Detection Vehicle team and SOCOTEC, an independent third-party company who perform on-site inspections globally, confirmed that the Collège Charles III would be safe to welcome students back for classes as of the morning of Monday 12th February.
“The air analysis and measurements looked for the possible presence of different pollutants such as: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), chlorine (CL2), nitrogen trichloride, trihalomethanes, phosphorus, arsenic and sulphur,” announced the Monaco Government in an official statement. “The converging results obtained both by the Marseille Fire Brigade and by the SOCOTEC Control Office, confirm, unequivocally, with no doubt, the total absence of toxic substances in the air within the establishment.”
AS Monaco earned a crucial and sweet victory over bitter rivals OGC Nice (3-2), which not only lifts Les Monégasques back onto the podium but also relieves the pressure that had been building on manager Adi Hütter.
Two teams, two close rivals, but two vastly differing dynamics: Monaco and Nice went into Sunday evening’s Côte d’Azur derby in contrasting form. Whilst Nice were desperately trying to cling onto runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain and are into the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France, Monaco were eliminated from the competition in surprising circumstances, losing against National 1 side Rouen in midweek, whilst a draw against Le Havre last weekend saw them drop out of the Champions League places for the first time all season.
Monaco’s fans unfurled a banner pre-match, ineloquently calling for the players to click into gear in order to save a season that has gone off the rails, however, both sets of players were greeted with an impressive pyrotechnic display as they took to the field in front of almost 25,000 fans.
Monaco fans with a pyrotechnic display ahead of the Côte d’Azur derby. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life.
Nice hadn’t lost at the Allianz Riviera all season and had conceded just twice at their home fortress. Francesco Farioli’s side dominate games and dominate possession and they looked like doing so again, with Monaco struggling to get a foothold.
That changed when Denis Zakaria launched a speculative long-range effort from around 30 metres, that rifled into the top corner, leaving Marcin Bulka helpless. However, Nice showed an immediate reaction, squandering a flurry of chances. However, Thilo Kehrer handed Les Aiglons a golden chance to equalise, catching Tom Louchet in the box. Gaëtan Laborde stepped up for the penalty, sending Philipp Köhn the wrong way and levelling the scores.
Dmitry Rybolovlev once again in attendance
Farioli’s side pushed for another before the break and would have got it if not for a sharp save from Köhn after Evann Guessand had worked a one-on-one situation. Laborde could have doubled his account on the night but couldn’t find the finish in a crowded box.
Monaco, who hardly existed in the match for periods, then once again took the lead and it was Zakaria once again. The Swiss midfielder, who was imperious in the midfield, latched onto Takumi Minamino’s cross to head past Bulka.
Things went from bad to worse for Nice, with Dante shown a straight red for a reckless tackle on Minamino just two minutes later. However, the game was not yet won, and there would be further twists.
10-men Nice netted an unlikely equaliser through Guessand as the Allianz Riviera erupted. Monaco were stunned; Dmitry Rybolovlev, who travelled to watch Les Monégasques lose in Rouen in midweek was once again in attendance at the Allianz Riviera, and he looked like witnessing another disappointment.
“One of the biggest victories of the season” – Hütter
However, Monaco showed character with Aleksandr Golovin netting what was ultimately the winner just moments later. Monaco withstood a late wave of pressure from Nice, who were pushed on by their home fans to secure a crucial win, which lifts them to third, and just one point behind second-placed Nice.
“It is one of the biggest victories, why? Because we were under pressure. If you lose it, you’re seven points behind. In this situation, under pressure, in a derby, it is one of the biggest victories of the season,” reacted Hütter post-match.
The Austrian manager, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, thanked his team for the “gift” of a victory, which not only eases the pressure on him and his squad but also gets the Principality club moving back in the right direction. Should Nice fail to beat Lyon next weekend, Monaco could retake second place when they face Toulouse at home on Sunday.
