Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/547695
22 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2015 Sport TRIATHLON FORMULA 1 Spiteri battles poor weather conditions to clinch Silver Medal in Challenge Poznan AGONES SFC and National Team Triathlete Fabio Spiteri claimed another international podium fin- ish in a middle distance triathlon when he clocked 4 hours 30 min- utes and 43 seconds at the recently held Challenge Poznan in Poland. Spiteri clinched a silver medal in the 40-44 Age Group. Spiteri was accompanied by strong contingent from Malta attended the recently held Chal- lenge Poznan, where thousands of athletes from all over the world competed in various triathlon dis- tances. With the event taking place around the Maltańskie Lake, the Maltese contingent garnered a lot of interest with Spiteri being in- terviewed by local media. Challenge Poznań route is con- sidered to be one of the fastest triathlon routes in the world and has resulted in excellent results over the three years since its in- ception. Whilst the lake where the swim took place is relatively shielded, weather conditions were never- theless tough as it was cold and windy - similar to Maltese win- ters. Spiteri completed the first seg- ment of the triathlon with a steady swim, followed by an approximate 1 kilometre dash into the transi- tion area. A quick change in tran- sition and Spiteri headed out for the cycle segment, which was held on a very fast, flat course out of the city. Spiteri's strength on the bike could be clearly seen with his speed averaging 39km/hour to complete the cycling segment in 2 hours 20 minutes. With a po- dium finish becoming more of a reality, Spiteri's athletics back- ground came into play for him to finish the half marathon in 1 hour 28 minutes and securing a silver medal in the process. "It has been my dream to secure a podium place in one of these triathlon events, today this dream has become a reality. Months of hard work have finally paid off ", said Spiteri after the Race. "Apart from the result, the sup- port from the Maltese contin- gent was amazing and definitely provided that extra boost needed when fatigue starts to kick in. I am grateful towards my sponsors who help make these events possible, in particular - Garmin Malta, Mo- chika, Wheel Wizard, Specialeyes Opticians, Festina Watches and the Malta Triathlon Federation. Spiteri's performance saw him secure 11th overall place from over 1,000 athletes. Spiteri's next international commitment will be Ironman 70.3 in Budapest in Au- gust. The Maltese Contingent was made up of Neil Markham and Matthew Ellul who undertook the Standard Distance Race (1.5k swim, 40km cycle, 10k run) and Fabio Spiteri, Josef Bonavia, Glen Zammit, Kevin Muscat, Frank El- lul, Stephen Banavage, Kenneth Camilleri, Ben Mifsud and Vic- tor Sammut under took the Half Iron distance covering 1.9k swim, 90km cycle and 21km run. Agones SFC Triathlete Fabio Spiteri wins silver Medal in the 40-44 Age Group Category at Challenge Poznan, Poland Lewis Hamilton expects the unexpected as F1 revises start rules Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton feels Formula 1's new start procedure will make getting away off the line even more "unpredictable" FOR the Belgian Grand Prix fol- lowing F1's summer break, starts revert back into a driver's hands, with the pitwall no longer in- volved when it comes to the nec- essary clutch settings. That could put more pressure on Hamilton and Mercedes team- mate Nico Rosberg who have been beaten off the line at the last two grands prix at Silverstone and Hungaroring despite front-row lock-outs. For the British Grand Prix Williams duo Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas swept by, while in Hungary it was Ferrari pair Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raik- konen. That resulted in Mercedes mot- orsport boss Toto Wolff describ- ing what has unfolded as "unac- ceptable". Reigning champion Hamilton concedes the new start format "is going to be a challenge". Speaking to reporters, he said: "What goes on from after this race [Hungary] is going to be very interesting. I expect more un- predictable starts. I imagine it is going to get worse, but that's rac- ing." Hamilton has even suggested the FIA may need to make rule tweak adjustments to compen- sate. "I think they might underesti- mate how much they inf luence the races," he added. "The starts might not change or they might be disastrous. It could make for more weaving, who knows? My guess is that it is not going to be the right thing and it is going to be adjusted. They might need to make changes to it. It is a good idea, though." Rosberg, 21 points adrift of Hamilton, has welcomed the ini- tiative introduced by the FIA. "It's good because it puts the start fully into our hands - 100 per cent driver," he said. There is no engineer involved or anything. If it's a good start, it's the driver. If it's a bad start, it's the driver, which is good because it puts a bit more variability into it. The start is such an important phase. As we have seen recently it can mix things up." Despite the change in start procedure, Wolff has vowed to understand why his drivers have struggled to make a clean geta- way at the last two races. "I'm very concerned," said Wolff. "We were jumped by the two Williams at Silverstone, jumped by the two Ferraris in Hungary, which triggered the mess and the lap-one incident [Hamilton going off track]. "We need to get on top of the situation, analyse it because it is unacceptable. "I think there are many reasons [why it happened], not just one in particular, but if you look at it, it is not good. From what I heard on the radio we had two very good practice starts off the line, but then when it mattered we had too much wheelspin and were over- taken in a way you can't recover." Sebastian Vettel overtakes Lewis Hamilton at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix