Princess Charlene of Monaco stepped up to promote the benefits of bike riding at her foundation’s inaugural Road Safety Day in Larvotto over the weekend, hopping on a bicycle to show off her own skills and provide a source of encouragement to the many children and their families who turned out to take part. Prince Albert II of Monaco also attended in a show of support for the new initiative.
On Sunday 23rd March, the sun came out for the Road Safety Day event, which had been organised by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation with the support of the Mairie de Monaco.
Held on the promenade above Larvotto Beach, the event combined sport, education and family-friendly activities with the aim of encouraging safe and sustainable mobility, and Princess Charlene and Prince Albert were among the many local figures who showed up to demonstrate their support for the initiative. They were joined by representatives from the Monaco Red Cross, the Monaco Fire Brigade and Police Force, BEKING, Monabike and the Prince’s Carabinieri Company, as well as many local volunteers and athletes.
The programme featured a variety of free activities, including a pumptrack for skill-building and a road safety circuit designed to help young cyclists develop good habits and reflexes on the road. A key feature was the Monabike Challenge, which saw six teams—comprising public figures and representatives from Monegasque institutions—take part in an eight-hour cycling relay through the streets of Monaco.
Officers Yannick Di Peri and Julien Pradas from Monaco’s Municipal Police,both members of the Urban Cycling Brigade, took on the challenge with the goal of reinforcing public respect for the highway code. Their efforts earned them second place on the podium.
One local mother, who attended the event with her young son, told Monaco Life, “I brought my son here today so he could learn how to ride safely and understand the importance of sharing the road. It’s such a great way to teach kids while having fun.”
Developing awareness of how to cycle safely on the road may have been the central objective of the event, but there was plenty of fun to be had while learning and one of the most popular attractions among the younger visitors was a bike that powered a blender. With each turn of the pedals, those in the seat got closer to transforming fresh fruit into a smoothie they could enjoy at the end.
The event concluded on a high note, with organisers hopeful that Road Safety Day will become a regular fixture on Monaco’s calendar.
To see more photographs from the event, click on the images below:
Check out Monaco Life’s Road Safety Day reel below:
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Photos credit: Michaël Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco