Season kicks off with BSJ Series
Held in perfect weather conditions at Salina Bay, the first race from the 2012 Series organised by Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club, this year sponsored by Festina Watches and The Cyclist, produced a spate of good results which augurs well for the rest...
Held in perfect weather conditions at Salina Bay, the first race from the 2012 Series organised by Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club, this year sponsored by Festina Watches and The Cyclist, produced a spate of good results which augurs well for the rest of the season.
Under-25 European champion Keith Galea (Birkirkara SJ) and national champion Danica Bonello Spiteri (St Patrick’s) continue to run the show.
In the men’s race, Galea had the fastest 750-metre swim, reaching transition area in 11 minutes 35 seconds, followed by team-mate David Agius Lia (11:41) and Graham Borg (11:49).
However, it was during the 20-km bike segment that things started to take shape, as Mellieħa AC triathlete Fabio Spiteri, who had the fastest cycle (28:24), had to take on the BSJ trio of Galea (29:32), Steve Chetcuti (29:14) and Rudolph Agius (28:48).
Agius, however, could not keep the tempo in the five-kilometre run as Galea wrapped the race, running the distance in 17 minutes 46 seconds. The battle for second place was won by Chetcuti who beat Spiteri to the gantry.
Galea finished the race in 59 minutes 39 seconds. Chetcuti’s time was one hour 30 seconds, nine seconds faster than Spiteri.
Bonello Spiteri had to be at her very best to overcome the challenge of Birkirkara SJ’s Michelle Vella Wood.
It was only in the final run that Bonello Spiteri took the lead, having lost it to her rival in the cycling segment.
Bonello Spiteri did the swim in 11 minutes 47 seconds, followed by Mellieħa AC triathlete Margaret Seguna (12:19) and Hannah Pace (12:16).
Vella Wood turned on the power in the cycling sector of the race, seizing the lead in the process. She covered the distance in 31 minutes 59 seconds to the champion’s 33 minutes 20 seconds.
At this stage, Johanna Calleja (Birkirkara SJ) was third following a 34:39 ride.
Bonello Spiteri’s 20:26 run could not be matched by Vella Wood who only clocked 21:02.
Bonello Spiteri won the race in 1:06.18. Vella Wood was second in 1:06.36 and Seguna third in 1:10.07.
The relay competition was won by Kyle Buhagiar (swim), David Galea (bike) and Johann Galea (run) in 58:27.
Ten relay teams took part in this race.