Team Lionheart completed the 225-kilometre crossing from Viareggio to Monaco in exactly 24 hours on Saturday, winning the third edition of Together Crossing for the Pelagos, the water bike relay organised by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Seven teams of four athletes took it in turns to pedal the route in relay, departing the Tuscan port city of Viareggio, around twenty kilometres north of Pisa, and arriving on the sand at Larvotto beach, where Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were on hand to greet the finishers. The crossing passed through part of the Pelagos Sanctuary, bringing together two causes close to the Princely Couple: drowning prevention, championed by Princess Charlene, and the protection of the marine environment.
A send-off in Viareggio
Princess Charlene gave the start signal in Italy on Friday 19th June at 2pm. In the presence of Italian and Monegasque officials, and after presenting two water bikes to the Italian coastguard, she sent the 28 competitors off from the nautical stadium in Viareggio for what amounted to a 24-hour marathon at sea. The field included Chris Froome among the elite athletes taking part.
Lionheart cross the line first
Team Lionheart, made up of Gustav Larsson, Veronika Larsson, Jeremy Josserand and Alex Bennett, set the pace from the outset and held off the rest of the field through the night and into Saturday morning to cross the finish line first, completing the relay in exactly 24 hours.
Podium and final standings
Team Galénic, featuring Princess Charlene Foundation ambassador Pierre Frolla, arrived on Larvotto beach in third place to applause from a large crowd of onlookers gathered under a blazing sun. Team Mangusta took second place, while Team Serenity, TC Racing, the Gouvernement Princier team and Scuderia Ferrari completed the final standings in fourth through seventh.
A gruelling relay
Athletes rode in one-hour rotations through the night, supported by escort catamarans that allowed each competitor a window of around three hours to recover, eat and rehydrate before returning to the water. Conditions were toughest on the first afternoon, when heat and a light wind raised a swell off the Italian coast, before calmer waters overnight as the teams pushed on towards Monaco.
The event marked the first joint initiative between the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, following a partnership agreement the two organisations signed at the Monaco Blue Initiative in May. Donations collected over the course of the weekend will be redistributed to the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
Fundraising totals
Team Lionheart leads the fundraising on the Foundation’s official donation platform, having raised €110,519. Team Mangusta has collected €21,850, ahead of the Gouvernement Princier team on €20,418, Team Serenity on €9,235 and Scuderia Monte-Carlo on €1,140, with donations continuing to come in following the weekend’s crossing.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene greeted Team Lionheart at Larvotto beach as they won the third edition of The Crossing, a 225km water bike relay from Italy to Monaco.
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Main photo credit: Fréderic Nebinger / Prince’s Palace