Strong winds in the exposed St. Paul’s Bay ByPass ensured a tough ride for the second stage of the Cyclist Tour ta’Malta. The hilly route saw cyclists tackle strong head winds ensuring a rough ride throughout.
The Elite peloton, tackling 12 laps of the route saw top podium places taken by Stuart Hall Cycling Gett Taxi Bottechia Team mates – Matthew Dobbing, Harry Horseman and Josh Copely who crossed the finish line within seconds of each other. Maltese Cyclists’ best performances were registered by William Hili (Mosta AF Sign Studio), Christian Formosa (The Cyclist) and fellow Mosta rider Clive Bugeja.
The Masters’ Category was won by Daryl Maffey (CC London), 1999 Tour Ta’ Malta winner Tommaso Galimberti was second and Dave Mitchinson third. It was another fourth place for Team Greens cyclist Etienne Bonello, who despite the disappointment of garnering another fourth place is still positive of even better performances in the coming days.
Malta’s hopes for another podium in the Ladies Category were dashed by the breath of a whisker when Gabriella Nordin (TW1 Racing Team) pipped Marie Claire Aquilina to third place. Nevertheless Aquilina still holds first place overall. First place was registered by Madeleine Scott, with Sian Bottomley taking second place.
In the Juniors Category, Luke Borg (The Cyclist) once again took first place and was joined by Mosta AF Sign Studios boys Sean Enriquez and Max Zammit in second and third place respectively.
The third Stage of The Cyclist Tour ta’ Malta will take place tomorrow, Saturday 13th April on the Zebbug By Pass at 10:00am. Road closures will occur, and motorists are to be advised accordingly.