It was a tricky course that the Malta Mountain Bike Association set up for over thirty mountain bike downhill racing enthusiasts in Wardija on Saturday.
The complex and technical course saw the inclusion of enhanced features along the trail which consisted of a series of jumps, sharp turns and steep drops providing a perfect setting for some fast paced adrenaline pumping action. The lack of rain made for a dusty and gritty track, which saw some cyclists skid but skillfully recovered quickly to continue the race.
The race got under way with two qualifying runs with riders starting their runs at 15 second intervals. The best run from each rider was automatically chosen and awarded qualification points valid for the overall championship. The qualification time also determined the starting grid for the race, with the fastest rider taking the last spot on the starting gate.
Cyclists were split into Elite, Open (Male), Masters (Male) and Female categories. Unfortunately in the latter category there was only one entrant, Gabriela Veneziani, who was transferred to the Open category since a minimum of five athletes are required to consitute an official category. Veneziani gave a very respectable performance in a male dominated race.
In the Elite Category Matthew Gauci was the star of the show registering the fastest overall split of the day completing the course in 59 seconds 26. He was followed by Ryan Darmanin and Wayne Schembri who clocked some very close times.
In the Open Category Andrew Caruana, Jake Galea and Darrel Cauchi shared the top three places on the podium. Jake Galea was one of the two junior cyclists, who at age sixteen is showing a lot of promise. In the Masters’ Category it was Derek Pepe, Kenneth Galea and the evergreen Patrick Scicluna who took a trophy home.
“The Association is very satisfied with the work that the sub comittee appointed to organise these races have put in – the design of the course shows a strong technical knowledge as well as a passion for the sport – the feedback received has been great, so we are really looking forward to this year’s season” commented Pierre Zammit Endrich, President of the Malta Mountain Bike Association after the race. “We hope to see more female and junior riders on the circuit, hopefully breaking the taboo that seems to surround this particular category in our sport” continued Zammit Endrich.
The Malta Mountain Bike Association confirmed the dates of the downhill National Points Series events which will take place on 22nd April, 13th May, 10th June. After a break for summer, the National Championships will be held on the 14th October.
For further information on the Association’s activities please visit – http://www.maltamountainbike.org.mt/ and http://mtbmalta.com
Photo Credit: MTB Malta
