The 2017 Tour ta’ Malta, starting today with the opening leg at the Salini Coast Road, will be an ideal build-up for the national team squads ahead of the Games for the Small States of Europe (GSSE) in San Marino.
This year’s tour, the 23rd in the series, takes special significance for those riders looking to earn a place in Team Malta for the June Games.
“The Tour ta’ Malta will be a perfect stage for our national teams and those cyclists vying to represent the country in this year’s GSSE in San Marino,” John Zammit, Malta Cycling Federation president, said.
“This season we have already fielded teams in other international events. The performances were excellent and the results obtained were very satisfactory I must say.
“A group of 18 cyclists have just returned from the Grand Fondo Series in Pafos, Cyprus, and they returned home with three age-group title victories.
“The Tour ta’ Malta will provide different challenges but we’re sure this will be an ideal testing ground ahead of the GSSE.”
Seven local clubs will be joining 16 overseas teams in the 2017 Tour where a record entry is anticipated. There will be three categories contested – men, women and masters (over 40 years).
Most of the foreign participants hail from England and Italy and there will also be a good number of individuals from other countries taking part.
Will Brown and Marie Claire Aquilina, the 2016 Tour ta’ Malta winners, will be defending their titles as today competition starts with a 12km time-trial at the Salini Coast Road.
Salvatore Coco, who won the Tour in 2013, will also be here trying to repeat his feat for a second time.
An 83.3km road race will be held over the St Paul’s Bay Bypass tomorrow and on Saturday the peloton crosses the channel to Gozo for a 60km race in Nadur.
The Tour wraps up on Sunday with the fourth and final stage at the San Martin circuit where riders face an arduous 88km road race. The organisers are urging drivers to follow police directions during the days of the Tour.
“We ask the public to cooperate with us during the Tour ta’ Malta competition,” Zammit said.
“Some roads will be closed so we are urging drivers to follow police directions as that will help us to run our races smoothly and safely.”
The organisers are also backed by the support of the various authorities concerned, including local councils and the Police Force. Other sponsors include General Soft Drinks, Lion Tea, BBB Cycling, Garmin, ARRTS Timing System, Soreda Hotel and Palazzin Hotel.