The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has revealed four of the teams who will be competing in the upcoming Calvi to Monaco Water Bike Challenge, and they include a host of recognisable names, including Formula 1 pilot Valtteri Bottas and his professional cyclist partner Tiffany Cromwell.
The annual Calvi to Monaco Water Bike Challenge, sponsored by the Princess Charlene Foundation, has become an end-of-summer staple in the Principality and is a draw for celebrities and the elite of the sporting world who are keen to show off their stamina in the name of a good cause.
Created as a way of raising awareness and funds for the Foundation’s many projects and missions, notably its anti-drowning and youth-focused sport programmes, it has now also become social occasion too.
See more: Princess Charlene Foundation’s Calvi to Monaco Water Bike Challenge returns for 2024
At this year’s edition, which will be held between 6th and 7th September, a total of five teams will be vying for the top spot as a bevy of fans cheer them on.
Team Serenity was the first of the teams to be confirmed by the Foundation via its social media channels. It will be made up of Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas, Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, newly-retired Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan and Gareth Wittstock, the Princess Charlene Foundation’s General Secretary and Princess Charlene’s younger brother.
Read more: Cyclist Tiffany Cromwell named new Vice-President of Pink Ribbon Monaco
Team Lionheart has an equally strong sporting pedigree and is comprised of Olympic gold-medal winning mountain biker Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, former professional cyclist turned owner of Vélo Monaco Gustav Larsson, professional cyclist Harvey Bird and Brandon Green, the heir to Philip Green’s Arcadia empire and an environmental activist.
Meanwhile, Team Rock to Rock is a thoroughly Monegasque affair. Those signed up the team include Alexandre Baccili, Jacopo Marzocco, Jean-Baptiste Pastor and Anthony Roustan.
Team Ferrari, which is being sponsored by the local Ferrari showroom in Monaco, features three International Automobile Federation drivers – Antonio Giovinazzi, Francesco Castellacci and Alessandro Pier Guidi – as well as Principality-based Ferrari dealer Guido Giovanelli.
World champion lifesaver and ocean paddle crossing alumna Stéphanie Geyer Barneix has been named as the event’s Race Director. She will be in charge of operations and security measures.
For more information on the race and the Foundation, or to make a donation, click here.
Read related:
From Calvi to Monaco: Endurance athlete Noam Yaron’s swim for change