Longines Global Champions Tour makes a stop in Monaco

Known among other things for its yachts, casino, and Formula 1 race, the Principality of Monaco is welcoming the three LGCT leaders to its beautiful Port Hercules site, all of whom have already scored victories in Grand Prix competitions this year. Those wins provide them a pass to the December LGCT play-off competition, the Super Grand Prix, in Prague, Czech Republic.

Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander, who triumphed in Miami Beach, leads the ranking with 172 points. Second place is held by Great Britain’s Ben Maher, winner of the Grand Prix of both Madrid and St. Tropez (143 points). His teammate from Great Britain and the gold medal-winning team at the Olympic Games in London, Scott Brash, is third after coming in first the LGCT Grand Prix in Mexico City (131 points). Fourth in the rankings is young Belgian Nicola Philippaerts with 121 points, and fifth place is shared by German Daniel Deusser and another Belgian representative, Jos Verlooy.

In addition to the three leaders present in Monaco, last year’s LGCT winner and the current World No.1 Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands will be in town, as well as Gerco Schroeder, Leopold van Asten, and Eric and Maikel van der Vleuten, also riding in ‘orange’ colours. Traditionally strong contingents are also in the principality from Belgium (including Pieter Devos and Jerome Guery), France (Simon Delestre, Roger-Yves Bost and Julien Epaillard), Germany (Marcus Ehning, Philipp Weishaupt), Ireland (Bertram Allen, Denis Lynch and Shane Breen), Italy (Alberto Zorzi, Piergiorgio Bucci and Emanuele Gaudiano), Switzerland (Martin Fuchs, Pius Schwizer and Jane Richard Philips) and the United Kingdom (Robert Smith and John and Michael Whitaker). Americans Georgina Bloomberg and Jennifer Gates are among the other top-level riders taking part in the event on the Mediterranean coast. 

In the ongoing Longines Global Champions League Team competition, the London Knights are in the lead with 174 points, Valkenswaard United are on 167 points, followed by the Shanghai Swans (127), Miami Celtics (120), Scandinavian Vikings (119) Berlin Eagles (116).