The first day of the 28th Edition of the Malta Cycling Tour, with the participation of several local and foreign cyclists, saw Maltese dominance at the start of the Tour, where five local cyclists finished on the Podium. The first stage consisted of an Individual Time Trail on the 5km circuit of the Coast Road, Salini, where all the cyclists did 3 laps for a total distance of 15 kilometres.
The main focus was on the Elite category where the Maltese Bernard Galea of The Cyclist/Agones took first place in a time of 24 minutes and 5 seconds. In second place the Italian Simone Cerio of ASD Team Simo Bike finished 5 seconds behind him, while Heorhii Antonenko of OBOR-BIKE AID Cycling Team (Switzerland) finished third in a time of 24 minutes and 28 seconds.
The Women’s category was won by the Maltese/Australian Jessica Pratt of Team Greens in a time of 27 minutes and 35 seconds. Eight seconds after her came the English Mathilde Pauls of FTP RACING (UK), while the Maltese Marie Claire Aquilina of Team Greens finished third in 27 minutes and 45 seconds.
In the Masters category, Colombian Joaquin Rojas of Team Greens finished in first place in a time of 25 minutes and one second. His teammate Etienne Bonello also of Team Greens finished just three seconds behind him, while Mark Zammit of Mosta CC came in third position in a time of 25 minutes and 23 seconds.
At the end of this stage, Julian Pace Bonello, President of the Maltese Olympic Committee presented the medals and the red shirt to the winners. Once again this Tour is being held under the auspices of the Maltese Cycling Federation, with the support of SportMalta and the Maltese Olympic Committee.
The Tour of Malta continues tomorrow, Friday the 12th of April, a road race that will be held on the 3.5km circuit of the Zebbug Bypass where the Elite will do 15 laps, while the Women and the Masters will make 12 laps. The start will be at 10:00 in the morning.
