Fabio Spiteri at the end of the middle distance triathlon in Poland.Fabio Spiteri at the end of the middle distance triathlon in Poland.

Fabio Spiteri sealed another podium finish on the international scene recently when coming home second in the 40-44 age group bracket at the Challenge Poznan in Poland.

He completed the middle distance triathlon, held at the Maltanskie Lake surroundings, in 4 hours, 30 minutes and 43 seconds.

Spiteri was part of a strong contingent from Malta where thousands of athletes from all over the world competed in various distances.

The Challenge Poznan route is considered among the fastest in circuit and several excellent results were recorded over the three years since its inception.

Whilst the lake where the swim segment took place was relatively shielded, weather conditions were nevertheless tough as it was cold and windy.

Spiteri completed the first portion with a steady swim, followed by an almost one kilometre dash for transition area.

A quick change and Spiteri headed out for the cycle part which was held on a very fast, flat course.

Spiteri’s strength on the bike was very much in evidence with his speed at times averaging 39km/hour to complete the segment in 2 hours 20 minutes.

With a place on the podium becoming more of a reality, Spiteri’s athletics background came into play for him to finish the half marathon in 1 hour 28 minutes, securing a silver medal in the process.

“It has been my dream to do really well in one of these top triathlon events so this is like a dream come true for me.

“Finally, months of hard work have paid off,” Spiteri said after the race.

“Apart from the result, the support from the other Maltese triathletes here was amazing and definitely provided that extra boost needed when fatigue starts to kick in.

“I am grateful for the support I get from my sponsors. They help me reach most of my objectives, including this one in Poland.”

Garmin, Mochika, Wheel Wizard, Specialeyes, Festina and the Malta Triathlon Federation all assist Spiteri in his season.

Meanwhile, the performance in Poznan secured Spiteri a creditable 11th place overall from an entry of over 1,000 triathletes in the various categories of the Challenge.

His next international commitment will be next month’s Ironman 70.3 in Budapest.

In Poznan, Neil Markham and Matthew Ellul took part in the Standard Distance Triathlon (1.5k swim, 40km cycle, 10k run).

Josef Bonavia, Glen Zammit, Kevin Muscat, Frank Ellul, Stephen Banavage, Kenneth Camilleri, Ben Mifsud and Victor Sammut joined Spiteri in the middle distance race – 1.9k swim, 90km cycle and 21km run.

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