The Malta Mountain Bike Association’s Cisk 0.0 XC National Points Series is in full throttle, with more than half of the planned races already done.
Whilst Luke Borg and Anchu Kogl currently lead the charge with equal points t two races remain meaning that victory is never assured as luck often wields its influence, injecting an element of unpredictability into the competition.
The third race of this year’s Series took place in Pembroke on a course filled with a variety of natural obstacles, including rocky outcrops, root-strewn paths, and narrow singletracks, testing both their technical skills and endurance.
Elite Category
Although Luke Borg initially surged ahead, taking command in the opening lap by edging Anchu Kogl in the first few meters to lead the pack on the narrow path that marked the beginning of the off-road course, Kogl, fueled by his recent win in the preceding race, overtook Borg in the second lap. From there, Kogl maintained his lead throughout the six-lap course. Behind Kogl, the rest of the chasing pack, including Stefan Scerri, Brandon Sultana, Mark Bonnici, and Matthew Dalli, steadily closed in. However, as the race unfolded, positions began to shift due to punctures and mechanical issues. Ultimately, the podium was claimed by Kogl, with Borg and Sultana securing second and third place respectively.
Ladies Category
Punctures also plagued the women’s category, as Marie Claire Aquilina suffered a puncture in the initial lap, costing her valuable time. Nevertheless, she managed to put up a strong challenge against the category winner, Diana Muscat. However, in the end, Aquilina had to settle for second place.
Sport Category
Josmar Vella registered his second consecutive win of the series having delivered a determined performance. Whilst the first lap saw Keith Bartolo and Wayne Schembri ahead of Vella, the second lap proved to be crucial for him as he went ahead, winning the category with a 32-second gap ahead of Bartolo. Schembri finished in third place.
40+ Category
Joaquin Rojas continued his unbeaten streak winning the category with a comfortable gap ahead of Alex Portelli – who has also featured on all podiums of this series. In third place was Robert Zammit.
50+ Category
Patrick Scicluna continued to dominate for the second race in a row in the series, maintaining his lead over Stephen Grima. Nonetheless, Grima leads the category’s classification. The third place on the podium was taken by Federico Sermarini.
E-Bike Category
Robert Magro secured victory in the category two seconds ahead of Keith Bartolo, while Kenneth Galea claimed third place.
Youth Categories
The Youth Categories drew in a strong crowd of talented riders. James Vassallo claimed victory in the U19 Boys category, while Ryan Gatt conquered the U17 course. In the fiercely competitive U15 Boys category, Liam Daly beat Neil Cassar by just one second, with Jake Refalo securing third place.
Nina Debono continued her consistent performance by once again winning the U15 Girls race, followed by Kim Micallef Cann and Katie Anne Vella Wood. In the U12 category, Kruiven Farrugia disrupted Zac Bugeja’s winning streak with a standout debut in the Association’s Series. Nolan Tabone finished in third place. Mickaya Fava completed the U12 girls’ course.
The Malta Mountain Bike Association is supported by the award-winning alcohol-free Cisk 0.0 Lager, Gatorade and San Michel. The Association thanked Pembroke Local Council for their support towards the event.
The penultimate race of the Cisk 0.0 National Point Series is scheduled to take place on Saturday 8th June at Majjistral Park.
Etna Nord Bike Race
In the meantime, several Malta Mountain Bike Association riders – Marie Claire Aquilina, Jamie Camilleri, Domenic Cutajar, Ramon Grech, and Patrick Scicluna took part in the gruelling Etna Nord Bike Race, a 42km race starting in Linguaglossa. Sicily and reaching an elevation of 1,630m above sea level. Whilst all riders performed well, it was Marie Claire Aquilina who took a podium place, finishing in second place overall and first in her respective category.
