Riding the Malta Sun

Why Malta for the #TearTheWallTour? Malta is famous for its rich history, stunning architecture and wonderful cafés. But did you know that it is here, just off the coast of Birżebbuġa, that the Cold War officially ended? The historic handshake between George Bush Sr and Gorbachev took place aboard a vessel that sealed this sad chapter in history at what became known as the "Seasick Summit" as can be seen in these images:

The Maltese were so excited by this visit that they covered it in the Times of Malta.

Here is Riding Malta Part 1 and 2:

Malta is home to the #EuroVélo7 Sun Route but I took advantage of the expert guidance of local riders to take me off the beaten track on mountain biking trails. This got quite technical at times but offered an amazing adventure that my regular gravel would not have managed. It is at one of the great local shops, The Cyclist, that I found a mountain e-bike that gave me pure enjoyment for my first assisted bike-experience.

My words of appreciation to H.E. Malta Ambassador Marisa Farrugia for all the guidance and support that helped make this adventure such a success!

With so much to offer in Malta it is no suprise that it has become such a tourist hotspot. For cyclists it offers great potential but the poor infrastructure and hectic traffic make riding the island, and particularly Valletta, challenging. The fantastic team at ROTA is working hard to change this and they can now have the support of Steve Zammit Lupi, cycling enthusiast who cycled from Stockholm to Malta, is somewhat of a local star and was just elected mayor of Ħaż-Żebbuġ: