May father's death make roads safer

The son of a cyclist who died yesterday in a hit-and-run on the coast road hopes his father's death will at least spur the authorities to do something about road safety.

"My father was always very cautious on safety... When cycling on Maltese roads, you feel constantly unsafe. Perhaps the authorities will now do something to make the roads safer," Max Micallef, 15, said.

His father, Cliff, died after he was run over by a car in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, about 20 metres from the entrance to the White Rocks Complex, minutes into his morning exercise routine yesterday.

The driver, 21-year-old Anthony Taliana from Ħamrun, who is expected to be arraigned today charged with involuntary homicide, was given away by the number plate of his car, which fell off and remained on the spot for the police to collect.

As news of the accident spread, condolences poured in for 45-year-old Mr Micallef, from Swieqi, whose passion for cycling was evident to all who knew him.

He had 22 bicycles in his garage, ranging from unicycles to tricycles.

"He would buy parts and old bicycles and rebuild them... He also taught disabled girls how to ride," his wife, Shirley, said. "He was very giving. In fact, he had a donor card and donated his cornea," she said.

She recalled how, even during their wedding ceremony, 17 years ago, the priest had mentioned cycling in the homily. Her husband's wardrobe was packed with cycling kits and he was obsessed with safety.

"It was his biggest passion. It was the one thing that made him forget his worries. He felt free on a bicycle," she recalled.

Whenever they went abroad with their three sons - Max, 15, Zak, 12, and Jon, eight - they would rent bicycles for the whole family, even when they went skiing.

Mr Micallef's passion rubbed off on his eldest son, Max, who often cycled with his father in the mornings.

He died on impact at about 5 a.m., but the motorist fled. Both the driver and Mr Micallef were headed towards St Paul's Bay.

Mr Micallef was planning to join the Lifecycle team next week, cycling through Istanbul and Damascus to raise funds for Mater Dei Hospital's Renal Unit. He was to join as a mechanic.

This was the fifth accident involving a Lifecycle athlete this year, according to the charity's chairman Alan Curry. Three of them were relatively small accidents and the fourth saw a cyclist smash against the windscreen of a car.

Mr Curry, who was also Mr Micallef's friend, said: "When someone dies people always say nice things. But this time there really are only nice things to say. He was such a nice guy and always ready to help others. He truly is a massive loss as a cyclist but also as a person.

"The irony is that one of the reasons why he went cycling so early was to avoid traffic," Mr Curry said.

John Zammit, president of the Malta Cycling Federation, said Mr Micallef's death was a tragic loss to the cycling community. "He cycled at five every morning and was always equipped with a helmet. It's unbelievable what happened," he said.

He pointed out that, about four years ago, another member of the federation died metres away from the spot where yesterday's accident occurred.

The 18-year-old BMX rider, who was also called Cliff Micallef, was a front-seat passenger in a car that crashed against a wall on the way to the Splash and Fun complex in August 2005.

Throughout the day, the Malta Olympics Committee, the Ministry for Culture and Sports, the Labour Party and the Malta Motorsport Federation expressed their condolences to Mr Micallef's family.

Cyclists poured their comments on timesofmalta.com.

George Debono wrote that Mr Micallef lectured him "at insistent length about the crucial importance of wearing a helmet and the number of occasions it saved his life in the past".

Edward Briffa said: "We have lost a great sportsman and an experienced careful cyclist".

Others debated the safety of roads for cyclists. "I didn't know Clifford but, as a cyclist, I know how dangerous our roads are and precautions aren't enough," Bernard Gafà said.

Nathan Farrugia, the CEO of Inspire Foundation, questioned what the authorities were doing to ensure that roads were made safe and that motorists' recklessness was addressed.

Mr Micallef's funeral will be held tomorrow at Ta' L-Ibraġ church at 2 p.m. Cyclists from various clubs, including the Lifecycle athletes, will pedal their way to the church in honour of their friend.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20090731/betfair-lifecycle-challenge-2009/cliff-micallef-1964-2009