Dermot Galea of Mosta AF Sign Studio Cycling Club was the winner of the Pennellu Hill climb yesterday.

This was another in the series of races leading to the 2005 Cycling Championships, launched by the Malta Cycling Federation.

This steep short uphill sprint is a hard testing ground for individual, performances. The gradient is sharp and there are several rather sharp bends. The course is not particularly long so any momentary slip might bring failure without any chance of a respite.

Galea finished the race in 3:25:39, ahead of Etienne Bonello from Pamsons Cycling Club who clocked 3:32:56.

Stephania Magri, also of Pamsons, won the Ladies category (4:23:34). Second was Michelle Wood and third Graziella Muscat, both from Mosta.

In this edition, there was yet another snag. The race clashed with other competitions held on the same day and at the same time by other organisation which draw heavily on the membership of the Federation.

There were compensations through. The weather was fine, hardly any wind and the road surface were clean and dry. In fact no tumbles or crashes were recorded as in a previous race held recently. The Traffic Police gave sterling help maintaining the race lane free while allowing traffic to filter through on the free adjacent lane.

The forthcoming race will be held on the occasion of the Sacro Cuor Feast in Sliema next Sunday on the Ferry Front starting at 9.30am. It will be run on the usual elimination system of the last cyclists in each lap.

Yetserday’s winners were :

Under 15 : 1. Formosa Christian P– 3:56:25; 2. Dimech James-M-4:38:33; 3- Galea Luke M-4:40:10.

Ladies: 1. Magri Stephania-P-4:23:34; 2. Wood Michelle-M-4:55:22;3.-Muscat Graziella-M-5:04:26

Masters: 1. Cliff Micallef-P-4:10:40, 2.- Emanuel Bezzina- M-4:53:18, 3.- Iwanik Chris – 4:58:07.

Over 50: 1. Fabri Lino- P- 4:02:17, 2. –Borg Philip-Q-5:23:08, 3. Camilleri Emanuel-M-5:24:26

Juniors:: 1. Sciberras Adrian – M- 3:39:09, 2. Bonnici Luke-M- 3:52:14, 3. Galea Keith –M-3:55:00.

Elite: 1. Galea Dermot-M- 3:25:39, 2. Bonello Etienne-P-3:32:56, 3. Colombo Reuben 3:43:10-P.