The Malta Mountain Bike Association fielded a strong team across several notable international competitions this year, including the prestigious Etna Marathon, a staple event on the European mountain biking calendar that draws riders of all levels to the challenging terrain around Sicily’s famous volcano.
The 2025 edition of the Etna Marathon saw a record turnout of Maltese cyclists, underscoring the rising popularity of mountain biking in Malta and the growing involvement of local athletes on the world stage.
Competitors from Malta participated in three distinct categories, each presenting different terrain demands. In the Granfondo category, riders such as Carmelo Abela, Danica Bonello Spiteri, Mark Bonnici, Alex Portelli, Carl Saydon, Patrick Scicluna, Fiona Tedesco, and Gordon Zahra took on the 45 km course with 1,550 metres of climbing through volcanic trails requiring both endurance and technical skill.
Patrick Scicluna stood out by finishing 22nd overall and earning second place in the M5 age group. Mark Bonnici also performed well, securing 34th overall. Female riders delivered impressive results, with Danica Bonello Spiteri placing second in the M3 category and among all women, while Fiona Tedesco took first place in the W5 category and ranked fourth overall among female competitors.
In the Marathon category, covering 63.5 km and 2,100 metres of elevation gain, Maltese participants including Marie Claire Aquilina, Etienne Bonello, Jeffrey Borg, Andrew Caruana, Alejandro Moya Ballester, and Antoine Sultana faced steep climbs and technical descents. Andrew Caruana finished 29th overall and 7th in the M1 category, while Marie Claire Aquilina claimed the top spot in the W4 category and second place among all female riders.
Neil Cassar, at just 13 years old, represented Malta in the Excursion category. He completed the 20 km route, which, despite its shorter distance, still posed a challenge with 800 metres of climbing and technical demands.
Malta was also represented at the HERO Südtirol Dolomites, one of Europe’s toughest mountain bike marathons. Four Maltese riders competed, with Clyve Chetcuti finishing in the top 10 of the Elite Sport Master 60 km category and 41st overall. Mark Zammit, Stephen Grima, and Robert Grech rode the longer 86 km route, placing 127th, 138th, and 250th respectively among nearly 700 participants.
Seventeen-year-old Luke Galea made history as the first Maltese competitor in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Val di Fassa, Trentino. Despite suffering a serious crash during Friday’s practice, Galea started the race strongly but was forced to withdraw early due to the injuries sustained. His participation marks an important milestone for Maltese mountain biking, providing valuable experience at the highest level of competition.
Pierre Zammit Endrich, President of the Malta Mountain Bike Association, commented, “Our riders have steadily increased their presence at major international events, a testament to the hard work and development efforts by the Association. While results have varied, we are proud of our athletes’ progress and optimistic about future achievements.”
The participation of Malta’s riders was supported by Cisk 0.0 Non-Alcoholic Beer, SportMalta, and VisitMalta.
