Team Greens rider Andrew Griffiths demonstrated his time-trial prowess after clocking the fastest time in yesterday’s fourth and final stage of the 2011 Betfair Tour ta’ Malta to claim the overall title.
The British-born cyclist began yesterday’s final leg, a 12km individual time trial on the Żebbuġ bypass, 31 seconds behind overnight leader Matthew Higgins (Virgin Active UK). Griffiths, who is of Maltese descent, needed to better Higgins’s time by at least 32 seconds to pip the Briton to the title and that is exactly what he did.
Griffiths and Higgins were the last two cyclists off the starting line for the time-trial.
Both set off at a frenetic pace but in the end it was Griffiths, a candidate for selection to Team Malta for the 2011 Games of the Small States of Europe, who prevailed. He completed the 12km stage in 16 minutes 24 seconds, exactly 32 seconds faster than Higgins.
Griffiths finished with an aggregate time of 4 hours 52 minutes and 55 seconds, a mere second ahead of Higgins whose overall time was 4:52.56. An incredible finish indeed.
Briton Roy Chamberlain (Virgin Active UK), who won the Tour in 2005, was third in yesterday’s time-trial in 17 minutes and 28 seconds.
German rider Anna Harkowska (CSM Team) dominated the time-trial to complete an emphatic victory in the ladies’ section. Having won two of the opening three stages of this year’s Tour, Harkowska clocked 19 minutes 23 seconds yesterday to push rival Michela Gorini (Fausto Coppi Team) to second place. The Italian recorded a time of 19 minutes 36 seconds.
Iona Sewell (Squadra Donne UK), last year’s winner, finished third in 19 minutes 51 seconds.
Jack Schiavone (Qormi Scotts CC) once again showed his strength in time-trials by gaining a podium place in the Masters. Schiavone clocked 18 minutes 40 seconds to finish third in a race that was again dominated by runaway winner Salvatore Casi (ASD Omina Ragusa). The Italian stopped the clock on 17 minutes 23 seconds.
Briton Kevin Byers (Fiestein Team UK) was second in 18 minutes 17 seconds.