Matilde Pauls and Dave Mitchinson the other winners
The Maltese Australian Dan Bonello of Team Oleka won the 26th Edition of the Malta International Cycling Tour in a total time of 4:34:13. He was followed in second place by Frenchman Antoine Magaud of Sprinter Nice Metropole – France in a total time of 4:34:23 and in third place by Swiss Johannes Glameyer of Amore e Vita – KIBAG-Obor in a total time of 4:35:27
The 1904RT Englishwoman Mathilde Pauls, who won this category in 2018, also won this year with a total time of 3:48:11. The Maltese Marie Claire Aquilina of Team Greens finished second in a total time of 3:50:11, while Gabriella Nordin of Team Jadan finished third in a total time of 3:51:09.
Englishman Dave Mitchinson of Cinnamon Café Contour Cycles Drunk Race Team – UK won the Masters Category in a total time of 3:30:03. Etienne Bonello – Team Greens (3:30:13) and Martin Lawless – Cycle Club Ashwell – UK (3:30:42) finished second and third respectively.
The final classification of the Maltese finished with Dan Bonello first followed by Jacob Schembri (Mosta CC) and Jason Vella (Agones SFc). In the Women’s classification Team Greens, Marie Claire Aquilina, Danica Bonello Spiteri, and Juleanne Vassallo finished in the top three places respectively.
Even in the Maltese Master’s Final classification, three Team Greens cyclists finished in the first three places, Etienne Bonello, Nick Schembri, and Rueben Colombo respectively.
The third and final stage of the Tour, a 63.3-kilometer Road Race on the Zebbug Bypass circuit saw the Swiss Robert Mueller of Amore e Vita KIBAG-Obor win the Elite Category – in a time of 1:39:11 in a final sprint between three cyclists. Dan Bonello finished a fraction of a second behind him and Antoine Magaud of Sprinter Nice Metropole – France finished third (1:39:12).
The women’s 43-kilometer category was also won again by Mathilde Pauls of 1904RT in a time of 1:36:40 in a final sprint at the same time as Ellie Mitchinson of Welwyn Wheelers Country. – UK, while third finished Jennifer Andrews of 1904RT – UK (1:36:41).
In the 43-kilometer Master’s category, Dave Mitchinson of Cinnamon Café Contour Cycles Drunk Race Team – UK won again in a time of 1:27:36, in a final sprint at the same time as Etienne Bonello of Team Greens, while Jose Soler of Cinnamon Cafe-Oriel Finance SDRT – UK finished third in a time of 1:27:36.
At the end of this stage, all winners were awarded medals, trophies, and red jerseys by John Zammit, Joe Bajada, and Daniel Borg Olivier, President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer respectively of the Malta Federation of Cycling. Joe Bajada finally presented the Cliff Micallef Trophy to Leon Zammit for his constant participation during the Tour, as well as the Merit Award to John Zammit, the mastermind of this Tour of Malta for many years.
The Organising Committee of the Tour would like to thank various entities including SportMalta, the Maltese Olympic Committee, the respective Local Councils of Naxxar, San Pawl il-Baħar, and Żebbuġ, as well as Transport Malta, the Police Force, the Local Guards. , ARRTS Timing System, and the Hotel Palace.
