The cycling team for the Games of Small States of Europe in Andorra needed a strong compact team and the hopes were high and the chances were very good. Indeed the team was the strongest it’s ever been and I believed in the chances we had to get home a team medal in the road race.

Nonetheless the GSSE experience is not just cycling. You are part of a bigger team from various sport disciplines. All uniquely different but all with similarities, tension being the biggest one of them. During the days I have spent in Andorra, I have seen athletes in the deepest abyss to over the moon in just a couple of hours.

The atmosphere in the Maltese team was amazing. Everyone was pulling the same side of the rope. At one point in time, it, was our turn to show what Maltese cyclists were made of.

I vividly remember that I was really excited the night before the race but we all stayed together and planned our race in detail. Everyone could tell we were tense but everyone was there to give us their support and sometimes a simple word did miracles.

On the day of the race I woke up eager to race and I was really focused. I felt strangely good. Not even in a simple race in Malta did I ever feel so confident. We started our warm up and things were really going my way. My legs were turning as if I didn’t have a chain in my bike, but it was not the case for two of my teammates.

As I stood on the line I suddenly heard my name; everyone had come to support us. On the word go we were off, one hundred and eight kilometres of climbing and fast tight corners.

The bunch was still compact and the pace was steady. Riders opened the dances and attacks started to take place in every direction. We were present, not just holding on but also attacking. Suddenly David came and asked me about Roderick. I told him he was somewhere behind me, but he wasn’t.

We passed the start area and Roy Chamberlain, our coach just yells; “It’s just you two!” We were really counting on Roderick as he was the strongest but he suffered a stomach bug and just could not turn the pedals. I saw our team medal going out of the window, but I said to myself, the race was not over yet!

Then I launched an attack and pulled everyone behind me in a straight file. David knew what I was doing and held there. Suddenly he counter attacked and a break away was formed and Malta was in it.

We still had a chance in an individual result. Although it was not going to be me, I just made sure that there was a Maltese rider and I succeeded.

David fought it till the final kilometers and managed to finish 10th. It was nowhere near the medal zone but racing for almost three hours for 108kms with another 40 riders was not a simple task at all. We had failed a medal, but the teamwork stood up for the occasion.

Five cyclists, two officials and all the rest of the Maltese contingent who dreamt, fought and succeeded together managed to make Malta proud of them. Joy in effort? Satisfaction in effort is more like it!