Princess Charlene of Monaco has spoken about her husband Prince Albert's water bike challenge, which took place last week between Nice and Monaco. The prince opened the race, holding a minute's silence in memory of the London Bridge attack victims, before taking part in the gruelling race.
Sharing her pride in her husband, Charlene exclusively told HELLO!: "It was a perfect day on the French Riviera and great to see so many people supporting the event along the coast. I was so proud of the Prince for competing - he's a keen cyclist but the water bike is tougher than you think - it's like cycling uphill continuously.
"I was so proud of the Prince for competing," said Princess Charlene
The atmosphere among the teams was quite something - it certainly brought out the competitive spirit of the athletes. I was surprised by how close the finish was in the end."
The Fondation François-Xavier Mora’s team, whose captains are the rugby player Percy Montgomery and the swimming champion Ryk Neethling, won the Riviera Water Bike Challenge. Princess Charlene warmly congratulated the participants and awarded the winners. The teams Monaco Police and COCC respectively ranked second and third.
The princess, who is a former South African Olympic swimmer, is determined to save lives by putting an end to drowning. This event, which is the first of its kind in the world, was raising money for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation to build and establish an aquatic rescue centre for Burkina Faso in partnership with the Monaco Red Cross and the Burkina Faso Red Cross.
For more information visit www.fondationprincessecharlene.mc.