Giuseppe De SalvoGiuseppe De Salvo has strengthened his grip on the leader’s red jersey as yesterday the Team Maggi cyclist bagged his second win in this year’s Tour ta’ Malta, coming home first at the demanding San Martin circuit.
After Thursday’s time-trial prologue in Mellieħa, the peloton stayed up north for a 100km road race that included a couple of testing uphills.
De Salvo, of Italy, was in a five-man breakaway group and the 2012 Malta tour winner went on to prevail in a tight sprint ahead of fellow countryman Filippo Ballatore (Team Ballatore). De Salvo crossed the finish line in two hours 27 minutes and eight seconds.
Francesco Pizzo, of Citta di Mister Bianco, was third in 2:27.09 just ahead of Aldo Barbera (ASD Campobello) and Tom Stockdale (BH).
In the overall classification, De Salvo has an overall time of 2:54.57, opening a lead of 61 seconds over Pizzo (2:55:58). Stockdale is third on 2:57.14.
Team Greens rider Etienne Bonello, ninth in San Martin in 2:30.18, is the first Maltese in the general classification with two more stages to go.
Bonello is eighth with an accumulated time of 3:00.55 and Carl Attard (Agones SC) is 10th in 3:01.38.
In the women’s Tour, 2014 winner Mathilde Mathjsse, of Bonito Squadra Corse, took the red jersey from overnight leader Marie Claire Aquilina despite placing third in yesterday’s 60km road race.
Mathilde Pauls, of Fusion RT, won the stage in 1:36.59 ahead of Briton Joanne Blakely, 1:37.04.
Mathjsse covered the San Martin circuit in 1:37:13.
The Dutchwoman leads the standings with a combined time of 2:09.20... 32 seconds clear of Pauls.
Blakely is third on 2:10.47.
Aquilina only managed a 14th placing in 1:43.36 in San Martin to slip to seventh overall in 2:15.36.
Danica Bonello Spiteri’s fifth-place finish at San Martin, clocking 1:37.29, put her on top among the locals. She is fifth with a combined time of 2:11.52.
In the Masters, James Steward retained the overall leadership with a third-place finish yesterday.
The Bonito Squadra Corse vete-ran clocked 1:33:57 over 60kms and finished behind Giuliano Montedori, of SS Grosseto, who won the stage in 1:32.23, and Steward Wilson, 1:33.56.
Steward tops the charts (2:03.36) ahead of Montedori (2:04.31) and Wilson (2:05.13). Malta’s David Galea is fifth overall with an aggregate time of 2:07.33.
Today, the Tour crosses the channel for the third stage in Gozo, a 60km road race in Nadur.
The race gets under way at 9am.
Tomorrow’s fourth and final stage, a 12km time-trial in Żebbuġ, will bring the Tour to a close.