Maltese ultra triathlete Fabio Spiteri has completed a 1,000km cycle around Sicily in two days and eight hours, shaving sixteen hours off his previous personal record.

Spiteri reached the southern port town of Pozzallo at around 2.20pm on Friday, completing the circuit he had started on Wednesday.

A dedicated animal activist, Spiteri's efforts were aimed at raising funds for various animal shelters across the island. Spiteri is hoping to raise €30,000 for the charities and had raised around €16,000 of that by Friday evening.

An exhausted but satisfied Spiteri described the cycle around Sicily as “absolutely amazing.”

While having a well-earned beer and some rest, Spiteri shed more light on his feat.

“It was incredible. Finishing any kind of challenge feels like an achievement, and I am proud of the fact that I was the third fastest cyclist to ever complete this challenge, even though we had a curfew and some bad weather,” Spiteri said.

“I discovered my limits and kept strong through up until the end. Cycling is one of my favourite sports, and the coastal route was beautiful,” he added.

The gruelling pace at which he had to go was not easy to handle, he admits. However, Spiteri is no stranger to such challenges.

“The tiredness comes and goes, but as soon as I ate food and rested a bit I could manage my energy levels a lot better. The journey has highs and lows, and it’s definitely exhausting.”

Spiteri is now working together with videographer Steve Zammit Lupi, who filmed the cycle around Sicily, to create a video documenting the journey and help their fundraising efforts. 

When asked what he is going to get up to next, Spiteri laughed and said, “Now, I need a few days of just eating and sleeping!”

Although the challenge is now officially finished, donation lines remain open to further aid animal rights organisations.

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