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Photos: Serenity wins 2022 Riviera Water Bike Challenge

06/06/2022

As the sun shone brightly over the Principality on Sunday, close to a hundred brave people took to the waters off Port Hercule for a gruelling 24-kilometre Riviera Water Bike Challenge, in which reigning champions team Serenity renewed their top position.

With Princess Charlene in self-isolation after contracting Covid-19, it was up to her husband Prince Albert II and children Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella to cheer on the teams on Sunday 5^th June.

The Prince signalled the start of the challenge at exactly 10:10am at the Yacht Club of Monaco, where 19 water bikes took off to join the course at the Solarium de la Digue Rainier III where the relay zone was located.

In the end, a total of 95 people took part in the challenge, including 41 sports celebrities. The aim: to raise awareness of and funding for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

With the sun shining, the public came out in force to cheer on the cyclists at the Solarium, as they completed 22 laps in difficult conditions of heat, humidity, and swell.

After more than two hours and 50 minutes of racing, it was team Serenity who crossed the finish line at the Yacht Club first. The team was made up of Gareth Wittstock, Secretary General of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, Terence Parkin, Ambassador of the Foundation, Caleb Ewan, Philip Deignan and David Tanner.

The A&S Estate team finished 2^nd, with Edgard John Augustin – aka Bionic Body – and Greg Minnaar, while the Interpadel team, with Foundation Ambassador Bjørn Maaseide, Thor Hushovd and Federico Vella, completed the podium.

Prince Albert II presented the trophies to the winning teams. They were created especially for this event by local jeweller Alberto Vitale and made from recycled materials found on the beach of Monaco.

Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario and Ambassador of France to Monaco Laurent Stefanini presented the trophies respectively to the 2nd and 3rd teams.

The Riviera Water Bike Challenge is designed as a fun and friendly sporting challenge to raise funds for the prevention of drowning. This year, the money will finance the ‘Swim for Safety’ project supported by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in Sri Lanka, to teach swimming and water safety to underprivileged children. The public were able to follow the race online, from start to finish, and donate by voting for their favourite team.

There was a great atmosphere at both the Solarium and the Yacht Club of Monaco, where everyone was able to enjoy a bbq, live music, and a jumping castle for the kids.

Cap Optimist hits the open seas

Come 2.30pm, it was time for Stéphanie Geyer Barneix, Race Director of the Riviera Water Bike Challenge, to kick start the Cap Optimist: Monaco Athens expedition, departing from the Yacht Club of Monaco. The Cap Optimist team is made up of six experienced water women and lifesaving champions – Stéphanie Geyer Barneix, Alexandra Lux, Emmanuelle Bescheron, Itziar Abascal, Margot Calvet, and Marie Goyeneche, who will take turns on a paddleboard to reach Athens, Greece, in 15 days, covering more than 1,800 kilometres.

The aim is to raise funds for the educational projects of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and for the ELPIDA association in Greece, which accompanies sick children with cancer.

The race was blessed in the presence of Prince Albert, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, Ambassador of France to Monaco Laurent Stefanini, and many Monegasque personalities.

This expedition is also a preparation for the great Cap Optimist crossing in the South Pacific, from Peru to French Polynesia, which aims to set a new world record in 2023 and promote the Hope Team East association, a group which helps sick people to live better thanks to sport. People can support Cap Optimist by purchasing kilometers (1 km = 100€).

Click on the gallery below for more photos from the Riviera Water Bike Challenge, photos by Claudia G. Albuquerque…

Teams chosen for Riviera Water Bike Challenge

Top photo of Gareth Wittstock and Prince Albert by Claudia G. Albuquerque

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

by: Stephanie Horsman

06/06/2022

A unique and unexpected combination of forces, Barclays Bank, Fight AIDS Monaco and Stars’N’Bars, joined together last week to celebrate inclusion and diversity in honour of Pride month.

Pride month, June in the United States, marks the commemoration of the Stonewall Riots, the 1969 event that is considered the catalyst for the modern LGBT rights movement.

In the early hours of 28^th June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club, in New York City’s Greenwich village, arresting patrons and employees. This sparked a series of protests and violent clashes with the law that lasted six days. Stonewall is credited as being a major turning point for the gay rights movement, leading to a slow but steady trickle of new legislation and societal change.

In solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in Monaco, Barclays Private Bank, Fight AIDS Monaco and Stars’N’Bars banded together for a special event on the Startdeck of Stars’N’Bars on 2^ndJune to celebrate sexual and gender diversity.

The event drew a crowd of roughly 80 people, many sporting the rainbow colours of the Pride movement, a symbol created in 1978 by artist and late drag performer Gilbert Baker.

Barclays has, through initiatives and employee networking, become an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all people. Their efforts have led to nominations from organisations such as Stonewall and Human Rights Campaign.

Additionally, Fight AIDS Monaco, headed up by Princess Stephanie, has been around since 2004 as a place that condemns all forms of inequality, discrimination and violence against people living with HIV.

With the motto “Do what you love, love what you do. Make a difference”, Stars’N’Bars, the USA-themed restaurant that has been a mainstay of the Port of Monaco for nearly three decades, has been committed to ensuring that anyone who comes through the doors is treated with kindness, respect and tolerance.

Pride month, which officially turns 50 this year, is celebrated around the globe in many ways ranging from the solemn to the carnivalesque.

Photos source: Fight Aids Monaco

Roca Team one win away from Betclic Elite final

by: Luke Entwistle

06/06/2022

AS Monaco Basketball were made to work for the victory in the dying stages of their Betclic Elite semi-final second-leg against Pau-Lacq-Orthez (79-72), but in triumph, they moved to within a victory of the final.

Yakouba Outtara said after victory in the first-leg that he expected a “reaction” from Pau, but Monaco didn’t allow them to react as they maintained the high levels of intensity and concentration that saw them finish second in the regular season.

Any “reaction” from the away-side on Saturday was a delayed one, as their fourth-quarter comeback was a case of too little too late. 2-0 down in the series Pau now have to win both ties on their home court just to take the series to a decider at the Salle Gaston Médécin.

Based on what has been seen thus far, that is an unlikely scenario. The underdogs haven’t been given a sniff, and Sasa Obradovic’s men will be looking to finish the job in efficient professional style in the third-leg on Tuesday.

Outtara picked up where he left off, as he got the Roca Team off to a scoring start. Nonetheless, Pau managed to stay within touching distance during the first-quarter as some slick passing worked good openings on the edge of the key.

But they simply couldn’t shut Monaco out. Dwayne Bacon, top scorer on the day with 20 points, was unstoppable within the key, whilst Donta Hall was an ever-present menace in the attacking phases.

By the end of the third-quarter, Obradovic’s men had worked a 16-point lead, and although that gap proved too large to breach, Pau did give Monaco a scare by getting within seven-points. Ultimately, however, Monaco finished the job (79-72) and should they approach the third tie with the same level of professionalism, they will surely book their place in the Betclic Elite final.

Obradovic knows that in order to do so, they will likely have to avoid repeating their fourth-quarter collapse. “The most important thing is the victory, but we certainly made the task difficult for ourselves. When we have such a big lead, we can’t let hope creep into the opponent’s game. We have to kill the game as soon as possible,” said the Serbian coach. “We want to finish this series as quickly as possible and give ourselves the maximum resting time before the final.”

Victory on Tuesday will give Monaco the perfect conditions to allow them to finish their incredible season with silverware.

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

Princess Charlene in isolation after testing positive for Covid

by: Cassandra Tanti

05/06/2022

Princess Charlene has tested positive for Covid-19 after “showing a few symptoms”, the Palace has said in a press release, forcing her to miss out on her Foundation’s Riviera Water Bike Challenge on Sunday.

According to the Palace, Princess Charlene’s health “does not present any concern”, however, in compliance with Covid rules, the wife of Prince Albert must isolate for a few days after testing positive.

It meant that the mother of two was unable to attend the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation’s biggest sporting charity event of the year, the Riviera Water Bike Challenge, on Sunday. In her place, Prince Albert and twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were at the Monaco Yacht Club to cheer home the competitors (see our upcoming article).

The last official public engagement for the Princess was on Sunday 29^th May during the Monaco Grand Prix.

Photo by Claudia G. Albuquerque

Skip the Use to headline busy Fête de la Musique schedule

by: Stephanie Horsman

03/06/2022

Fête de la Musique is returning later this month to celebrate the first official day of summer with an evening of music, dance and serious fun. Here’s what you can expect.

After two years of dreary pandemic, the world can use a bit more music and it will find it at this year’s Fête de la Musique being held throughout Monaco on 21^st June.

During the day, starting from 10am in the Condamine, music will fill the air with a concert by Dixeland jazz group Golden Jazz Band on Rue Princesse Caroline. Next up, on Place des Moulins, are pop rockers Princesse de Nuit, followed by Reds at 3pm in the Condamine on Place Gastaud, comprised of players from Monaco’s fire brigade who will be performing a rock and pop playlist.

From 5pm, there are several choices, including ‘The Where’ and ‘Dedicate’ in Fontvieille on Place du Canton and a concert by the Wind Ensemble of the Rainier III Academy, under the direction of Ludovic Tallarico, on Place Gastaud, while the band Highwood will be performing at Apero Pizza on Allee Lazare Sauvigo in the Condamine.

This celebration of summer will feature many artists playing around the Principality throughout the day, culminating in an 8:30pm concert on the Quai Albert 1er with the Lille-based rock group Skip the Use, who will play songs from their new album ‘Human Disorder’. Performed exclusively in English, this new album is described as “intense and paradoxical”.

The opener will be with the DJ Afroman Radio, who will take the public on a journey through a universe of funk, deep house, break beat and soul.

For a full listing of the day’s musical attractions, visit the dedicated website on https://www.mairie.mc/poles/animations/musique/la-fete-de-la-musique

Roca Team get off to winning start in play-off semi final

by: Luke Entwistle

03/06/2022

AS Monaco Basketball “learnt their lessons” from their poor start in the quarter-final against Strasbourg, as they dominated from start to finish against Pau-Lacq-Orthez (94-65) on Thursday.

The Roca Team’s Yakuba Outtara told Monaco Life after their overtime victory against Strasbourg that in order to avoid falling into the same trap as they did in their quarter-final tie, they had “to impose their rhythm on the game”.

There can be no doubt that they did that from the offset. Pau didn’t spend one second of the match in the lead, as they failed to match the intensity and precision of their adversary. Although Pau undoubtedly came into the tie as the underdog, Monaco must be wary. The side have already pulled off the shock of the season, beating first-place finishers Boulogne-Levallois 2-0 in their quarter-final tie.

But unlike against Strasbourg, Monaco approached the game with a better attitude and their will and desire was evident during a first-quarter in which the tone was set, as everyone chipped in with their own point contribution.

Often relying on big moments from big players, this was instead a side where the collective triumphed. Outtara, whose contract situation beyond the end of the season is very unclear, backed up his man-of-the-match performance against Strasbourg with another convincing display.

It was thanks to his efforts, and the efforts of his team-mates, that this was a match in which there was never any peril. That will serve them well. Decreasing the levels of mental and physical exhaustion was an important part of the task with the second-leg coming up on Saturday.

Donta Hall and Mike James were pulling off their respective signature moves, the return of the former was particularly welcome as his dunks punctuated the tie with moments that got the fans on their feet.

At a canter, the match finished 94-65, as Monaco won each quarter on their way to a rout, which not only puts them 1-0 up in the series, but will likely deal a psychological blow to their opponents.

Post-match, coach Sasa Obradovic said, “It was a very good match on our part. Everyone put in the performance that they had to and I hope my players will be equally as serious in the next match.”

Outtara added, “We were serious from start to finish. We have learnt lessons from the last match against Strasbourg. We mustn’t ease up; we need to quickly turn the page for this second match in two days’ time. There will be a reaction from them on Saturday that’s for sure, and they’ll play harder.”

Although the tie has got off to a dream start for the Roca Team, maintaining that focus and intensity will be key in a series that is yet young.

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

Photos: Serenity wins 2022 Riviera Water Bike Challenge

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

Roca Team one win away from Betclic Elite final

Princess Charlene in isolation after testing positive for Covid

Skip the Use to headline busy Fête de la Musique schedule

Roca Team get off to winning start in play-off semi final

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