Simone Cerio wins Tour ta’ Malta

Etienne Bonello, Jessica Pratt top other categories

Simone Cerio, of ASD Team Simo Bike, won this 28th edition of the Tour ta’ Malta despite finishing in third place in Sunday’s final race.

The Italian rider Thus he ranked first with a time of 5 hours, 5 minutes and 54 seconds. Bernard Galea of The Cyclist/Agones (5:06:10) and Ukraine’s Heorhii Antonenko, of OBOR-BIKE AID Cycling Team, finished second and third respectively in the final standings (5:06:22).

The last stage that took place on the 3.2km circuit on the Għajn Qasab Road, on the Ramla l-Ħamra route in Nadur, the Elite did 12 laps, while the Women and the Masters had six laps.

The Elite category was won again by another Swiss cyclist, Morgan Guerin, of OBOR-BIKE AID Cycling Team, who dominated the race, finishing vicgtorious in 1:19.00.

Guerin finished 18 seconds clear of Bernard Galea, of The Cyclist/Agones, while Cerio finished third in 1:20:42.

The women’s category was won by Maltese/Australian Jessica Pratt, of Team Greens, with an accumulated time of 4:19:43, followed by Mathilde Pauls, of FTP RACING, who managed 4:23:09 and Team Greens’ Marie Claire Aquilina (4:32:06).

Pratt’s victory underlines her dominance in the Tour where she managed to win all four stages. On Sunday, she dominated the road race in Nadur where she finished first in 54:29.

Mathilde Pauls (57:27) and Marie Claire Aquilina (58:29) finished behind her respectively.

In the Masters’ category, Team Greens rider Etienne Bonello emerged victorious with a total time of 4:00:33.

Only three seconds behind Bonello finished his team-mate Joaquin Rojas (4:00:36) while David Michinson, of Cinnamon Cafe Saddle Drunk Race Team, placed third (4:01:05).

The last leg was won by Michinson in a final sprint with Bonello to clock a time of 51:57.

Rojas completed the podium when placing third, two seconds behind.

In the final standings for Maltese riders in the elite class, Bernard Galea (The Cyclist/Agones), a Maltese who lives in England, topped the charts in 5:06:10 ahead of Jacob Schembri, Mosta CC, and Birkirkara St Joseph’s John Camilleri.

The women’s class was dominated by Team Greens riders with Aquilina (4:32:06) finishing ahead of Diane Muscat (4:39:53).

Etienne Bonello, of Team Greens, was the first Maltese rider in the Masters class ahead of Antoine Sultana (4:01:39) and Mark Zammit, of Mosta CC.

At the end of the stage, Kevin Azzopardi, the Maltese Olympic Committee secretary, presented the trophies to the various winners.

This Tour was held under the auspices of the Maltese Cycling Federation, with the support of SportMalta and the Maltese Olympic Committee.

In a statement, the Organizing Committee of the Tour expressed its gratitude to SportMalta, the Maltese Olympic Committee, Transport Malta, and the Local Councils of Naxxar, Haz-Zebbug, Mellieha and Nadur, as well as the Agency of Local Enforcement Systems (LESA), ARRTS Timing System and the Palazzin Hotel and to all participating clubs and riders for their support.