The cycling season is over, and the riders are eager for a holiday. You might think this is not the best time to organize a criterium. BeKING, an event organized by Matteo Trentin in Monaco, is the exception to that. A particularly strong lineup of riders will take the start on Sunday, November 23.
The very first edition of the criterium took place in 2021. Initiator Matteo Trentin immediately managed to attract big names. The inaugural BeKING proved to be a success, and the criterium has since become an annual event. For the upcoming edition, Trentin—who now rides for Tudor Pro Cycling—has once again recruited some well-known riders.
The biggest name at the start is undoubtedly the man who this year won three monuments, the Tour de France, and the European and World Championships: Tadej Pogacar. This is not too much of a surprise, as the Slovenian lives in Monaco and for Pogacar, this is something of a home criterium.
This is also the case for Davide Formolo (Movistar), Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates XRG), and Steven Kruijswijk (Visma | Lease a Bike). Furthermore, top sprinter Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) has now been announced by the event organizers, along with Monegasques Victor Langellotti and Antoine Berlin.
World-class women’s field
The women will also take action in the microstate, and with Tour winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Anna van der Breggen, Lorena Wiebes, and Kasia Niewiadoma, the organizers have secured some heavy hitters. The provisional start list also includes the names of Urška Žigart (Pogacar’s fiancée), Vittoria Guazzini, and Chiara Consonni.
Trentin aims to use BeKING in Monaco to strengthen the relationship between professional cyclists and the local community. The initiator focuses mainly on the youth. Over the past years, Trentin also organized a Kids Ride, giving children the chance to race alongside their cycling heroes. Additionally, in the hours before the criterium, several charity races take place.
In this way, Trentin hopes to raise as much money as possible for La Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco and La Fondazione Michele Scarponi. The theme of safety will also be addressed during a special conference. The experienced Italian has been an advocate for safe cycling for years, motivated by the death of his fellow countryman Michele Scarponi, who died in a traffic accident in 2017.
