Whilst the debut of the Ħaġar Qim route provided breath taking views, the fifth race of the BDO Malta Mountain Bike Cross Country Series proved to be uncompromising and unforgiving - resulting in a number mishaps by cyclists attempting the route.
Apart from battling the humidity which September is well known for, riders had to face sharp inclines varying between 10 - 12% as well as some very technical downhills.
Elite
Starting off the 7-lap course were the Elite group, with the likes of Etienne Bonello, Mark Bonnici, Maurice Formosa and Patrick Scicluna vying to take a leading position to set the pace. The first two laps indicated that it was going to be a battle between Formosa and Bonello - a game of tactics and strategy which unfortunately came to an end at the start of the third lap when Formosa suffered a puncture resulting in him having to retire. With Formosa out of the fray it was a battle between Bonello and Scicluna who were not only fighting for a race win but also points in the overall leader board. Despite valiant attempts by Scicluna to keep a narrow gap between him and Bonello it was Bonello who produced a very fine performance to win the race in a time of 1:04:37. Scicluna had to settle for second place 1:06:01. Surprise of the race was Clive Ebejer who in his debut on the circuit quietly crept up to take third place, 35 seconds behind Scicluna.
Open
As has been the case in the majority of the races in this year's series it was the trio made up of Mark Zammit, Ryan Darmanin and Wayne Schembri who dominated the 5-lap Race. Race five saw Ryan Darmanin secure another win in 47 minutes 08 seconds, with Zammit (49:25) and Schembri (50:46) following. With just twenty points between Darmanin and Zammit the race to secure the top billing on the leader board is still very much open until the last race.
Ladies
With top leaders Marie Claire Aquilina and Danica Bonello Spiteri away due to international competitive commitments, it was up to Claudine Gatt and Fiona DarmaninTedesco to fly the female flag. This was the second race in the series for both riders and the second win for Gatt who covered the 5 lap course in a time of 1:06:46
Masters
Newcomer Derek Pepe was leading the Masters race with a comfortable advantage however a puncture on the fourth lap saw him lose this advantage to Domenic Cutajar who equally gave a solid performance to win the race ahead of Mark Portelli with a 44 second advantage to register a time of 57:08 . Cutajar has competed in all races and is currently on the top of the overall leader board.
With just one Junior entering the Race, Nicholas Attard Montaldo started the race with the Masters Category. Despite his young age, and lesser racing experience Attard Montaldo gave a very fine performance, clocking a time of 52:08.
"We are very pleased with the outcome of the new Ħaġar Qim route as it combines a mix of technical ability with straightforward cross-country routes. The feedback we got was very positive although once again we were slightly disappointed with the lack of Ladies and Junior participation" remarked Pierre Zammit Endrich, President of the Malta Mountain Bike Association.
The final race of the BDO Malta Mountain Bike Cross Country Series will take place on Sunday 1st October in Miżieb, whilst the National Championships will take place on Sunday 15th October in Selmun.
The 2017 Cross Country Series is being sponsored by BDO Malta and supported by Magri Cycles, Carm & Co Ltd (SIS products), Island Beverages (H20nly) and MTB Malta.
For the Association's latest news and calendar of events, please visit - http://www.maltamountainbike.org.mt and Facebook and Instagram pages. Alternatively contact the Association on [email protected]