Tadej Pogacar finished second, followed by Mark Cavendish.
Monaco, 26 November 2023 – Peter Sagan ends his professional road career with another victory. This time it was the Monaco circuit that crowned him the winner. The Slovakian multiple champion livened up the third edition of the Beking by finishing first after 45 laps of the professional criterium, ahead of Tadej Pogacar in second and Mark Cavendish in third.
Sagan commented immediately after his success: “It was great to race again with my colleagues and friends before starting a new chapter in my life. It was like a big party and I’m happy that all these fans and enthusiasts came to Monaco to spend a great day of cycling with their families. Beking is still young, but it shows the immense potential of sport in its role as an educator and social awareness-raiser, and I am really happy to play my part in this project.”
“It was fun,” said runner-up Tadej Pogacar. “There were really a lot of people today, so I’d say the organisers are going in the right direction, hats off to them. Beking once again proved to be a great event to promote cycling in all its aspects. I hope that we will be able to make it a tradition.”
Mark Cavendish, a new supporter of the Beking project, is already excited by the event’s international reach: “It was incredible, a very beautiful day,” said the Manx sprinter. “Riding with many of my colleagues here in Monaco for a good cause was amazing and that is what makes this event so special. The combination of cycling and sustainability is almost perfect as it’s one of the sports that is most sensitive to the issue. I am glad I was able to attend”.
The race started and finished at Port Hercule, which will host the Tour de France in 2024. The course was approximately 60km long and consisted of 45 laps of 1.3km each. The track included the last section of the F1 circuit, in the opposite direction, with the Rascasse bend, the 2 chicanes of the St Dévote pool and the Boulevard Rainier.
The first race of the day, the Pro-Am, was won by the team of Peter Sagan and Samuele Battistella who beat the runners-up Matteo Trenitin and Luke Rowe, 2nd, and Michael Matthews and Matteo Moschetti, 3rd.
“It has been a wonderful time, full of activities to organise, it has undoubtedly been a busy few months, but knowing that it all makes sense for our future, for a better way of life for our young people and for those who need concrete help through the associations we support, undoubtedly fills us with energy”, confirmed Claudia Morandini on behalf of CMT and AWE Sport, at the end of the third edition.
“Tonight is an evening among friends, with the sale of special pieces, the proceeds of which will be donated to the associations and projects we have chosen, through our association Beking and to Fight Aids. I am looking forward to announcing the amount and the destination of these funds,’ Matteo Trentin, creator of the event, continues. “It was another beautiful experience of sport. We saw a lot of people along the route and this is a great reward for the effort we all put into organising and supporting this event. I have to thank all my colleagues for their confidence and commitment. I am really excited and ready to think about the next edition.”
