All riders who intend to participate in any of the MMBA races are to read the race regulations and fill in the disclaimer.
CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - 31/07/11
Vella and Magri crowned national champions
Jason Vella closed the cross country season with a fine win of the cross country national championship last Sunday at Mizieb.
Etienne Bonello finished in second place with Jeffrey Borg completing the full podium for Team Greens. Briton based Stephania Magri took the ladies’ championship title. The race was highly contested from the first kilometers as riders tried to take advantage from the first lap. However the race was tightly knit as everyone watched each other very closely and did not leave any space for attacks. It was Team Greens' Jason Vella who in the second lap managed to break away and build a lead. Mark Bonnici and Maurice Formosa of Melita went to his chase immediately as Vella increased his advantage. It was the turn of Etienne Bonello to make a move as he attacked mid way through the race to tear the chasing group apart. Bonello hammered on the pedals to join his team mate Vella in front. The duo rode together in the remaining laps till the finish. There was no battle for the first place as the two Greens riders crossed the finish line together with Vella slightly infront. Back in the race Bonnici sustained an accident which forced him to abandon the race, with Formosa also throwing in the towel some time later. Jeffrey Borg cruised into third place concluding the podium for Team Greens. Stephania Magri was crowned national champion in the female category.’ I was aiming for this result’ commented Stephania Magri after the finish. ‘It will be an honour for me to race in the UK as maltese champion’. Vella was also delighted with his performance and the backup received from his team mates.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND FIVE CHADWICK LAKES - 17-07-2011
The Cross country national points series came to an end earlier this month with the final round held at Chadwick Lakes.
The riders had to tackle the 4km race course four times which included a one km uphill on steep, loose terrain followed by a fast winding double track downhill and a tricky single track section before the finish. All the big names in local mountain biking took the start of the final round, despite the early morning start riders still had to combat the prevailing hot, humid, windless conditions especially in the uphill sections. The riders rolled from the start from the heart of Chadwick lakes and after a left turn, took them up the first climb. Etienne Bonello set the pace in front followed closely by Maurice Formosa, Jason Vella, Clive Ebejjer , Mark Bonnici ,Gerard Said, Jeffrey Borg and Paul Zarb. Bonello had no intention to ease his pace as he charged the hill, increasing the pace till the top. He managed to open a small lead early in the race. Formosa was the immediate chaser and managed to eat back some of Bonello’s advantage in the downhill sections. Into the second lap Bonello was forced to stop his progress as his rear wheel became loose. Formosa overtook Bonello to take the lead. There was no time to waste for Bonello, since as soon as he fixed the mechanical fault, he went on to chase Formosa putting the hammer down up the hill. He managed to over take Formosa and open an advantage. Bonello now in full race mode cruised to the finish in first place. Formosa finished in second place despite suffering a crash in the third lap, as he crossed the line followed by his team mate Clive Ebejjer who finished in third spot. Bonello leap frogged Formosa in the final Points Series classification by a mere 5 points with a total of 1005 point, Formosa with 1000 and Clive Ebejjer in third with 890 points. The Mountain Bike racing season will come to an end this Sunday with the National championship race which will be held at Mzieb.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND FOUR MIZIEB - 17-04-2011
The fourth round of the cross country national points series was held last weekend at Mizieb. After a short break from cross country racing the local riders eagerly contested this race and did not fail to put up an interesting show. Now high in the racing season and riders reaching their top form the race was particularly very fast from start to finish. Jason Vella took the lead in the beginning of the race hammerring through the first couple of laps splitting the field to individual riders. Hot on his wheel followed Etienne Bonello , Maurcie Formosa and Jeffrey Borg. Racing became more aggressive half way through the race with Bonello and Formosa attacking and taking a slight lead on Vella and Borg. Into the final laps The leading duo opened their lead and were set to a head to head battle. Bad luck struck Bonello as a broken rear derailleur forced him to abandon the race a few km from the finish. Formosa cruised unchallenegd to the line in 1:25:26 with Jeffrey Borg in second place in 1:26:30 and Jason Vella finishing third despite a broken pedal 1:27:34 . Marie Claire Aquilina also showed improved form after missing a few races due to illness. A pleasant appearance was that of Joseph Fomosa who made a comeback to the sports winning the Sports Category.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND THREE DELLIMARA - 27-02-2011
Dellimara was the testing ground for the third round of the national point series.The circuit which features hard steep climb was made harder with the heavy rainfall of the night before turning part of the circuit in mud pools and slippery sections. The riders braved the race conditions as they lined up for another gruelling race. The start was very fast straight from the line up to the first hill just after 50 metres. Gerard Said took the lead and hammered onto the pedals till the top opening an interesting margin. Mark Bonnici went to his chase and the two stayed away for the first lap. Back in the main group Maurice Formosa, Etienne Bonello , Jason Vella and Clive Ebejjer closed down on the front runners with Bonello and Formosa attacking as they reached the leaders. The two cruised along the second lap as they slowly increased their lead. Into the third lap Bonello attacked Formosa before the top of the climb and rides away from Formosa. Formosa went onto Bonello’s chase as the latter increased his margin. Bonello cruised into the remaining laps when a punctured wheel just before the final lap almost spoiled his race. Bonello managed a swift wheel change as Formosa almost ate down on Bonello’s lead. Bonello rode the last lap in frantic pace and managed to keep his place and win the race in 1:03:19. Formosa came in second place in 1:04:13 while, Jeffrey Borg outsprinted Clive Ebejjer for third place in 1:04:56. Bonello now leads the provisional standings of the national points series with 670 points with Clive Ebjjer in second place with 570 points and Maurice Formosa in third with 550points.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND TWO MIZIEB - 30-01-2011
Ebejjer takes second race
Last Sunday mountain bike racing resumed with the second round of he national points series, which was held at Mizieb.
The race turned exciting from the first kilometres as Mark Bonnici took the front at a strong pace. All race contenders followed his wheel while several progressions by Clive Ebejjer, Jason Vella, Maurice Formosa, Jeffrey Borg and Etienne Bonello took place. Jason Vella was once again foiled by a mechanical mishap which made him loose any chances of a positive result. Into the second lap Ebejjer, Fomrosa , Bonnci and Bonello lead the race as they marked each other very closely. Bonello suffered a flat tyre which forced him to slow down and loose the front runners. Back in the race Ebejjer and Bonnici pulled away from Formosa and joined forces to the finish as Ebejjer edged Bonnici on the line in 1:14:16. Bonello had to settle for third after a terrific chase following a wheel change 1 minute down on the winners. The challenge for the national points series has now intensified with Bonello and Ebejjer sharing the same number of points.
Marie Claire Aquilina was the outright winner of the ladies category followed by Vineta Pettel of Latvia. Owen Ciantar took his second consecutive win in the sports category. The third round of the national points series will be held on the 27th February at Dellimara.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND ONE PEMBROKE - 16-01-2011
Mountain Bike Season Kicks off in Pembroke..
The Mountain Bike Season kicked off last Sunday with the traditional season opener race in Pembroke.
Under a near perfect sunny wintery day the riders raced from the start, a few metres away from the BMX track down to the Pembroke ranges, a circuit which is characterised by rocky terrain with technical downhills and leg breaking uphill single tracks. Different categories were held to cater for various biking abilities with the Elite category fielding Malta’s top bikers. From the start Maurice Formosa took the lead into the first technical downhill, He was followed closely by Jason Vella, Etienne Bonello, Mark Bonnici & Clive Ebejjer. It was Bonnici that forced the pace in the first uphill as riders struggled to keep their positions. Formosa made things more serious as he attacked by the top and steepest part of the hill, However Bonello answered promptly to Formosa’s challenge and the two opened a slight gap at the top. The pace settled down in the second lap with Vella and Jeffrey Borg joining the front runners. Up into the second lap Bonello charged the hill and attacked the group to break away. Vella and Borg suffered mechnical misfortunes and lost their positions, meanwhile Formosa also lost his rhythm after hitting a rock hidden in the vegetation. Bonello powered his way through the remaining four laps to finish the race in 52:00, Formosa had to settle for second 2:12 down on Bonello followed by Ebejjer a few metres behind. In the Sports Category it was the day for Owen Ciantar who produced an excellent race; he was followed by Kenneth Schembri. Marie Claire Aquilina showed improved mountain bike ability as she powered her way to the finish in 49:36. The next mountain bike race will be held in Sunday 30th January at mizieb,
2011 race calendar posted
The Malta Mountain Bike Association will be holding its annual general
meeting on Thursday 2nd December 2010 at the Green Grove Guest house at 8:30pm.
You are invited to attend this meeting.
Agenda
Minutes of Meeting
Administrative report
Financial report
open discussion
CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 11/07/10
Bonello retains national title
All top mountain bikers presented themselves at the start of the most prestigious race of the season, the cross country national championship, which was held last Saturday at Mizieb over a distance of 36.6kms. The much anticipated race saw riders waiting excitedly on the start line vying their best for this prestigious title. The riders rode from the start at a controlled pace as everyone eyed each other avoiding wasting useless energy in the early stages of the race. It was Mark Bonnici who shook the field with a progression in the first lap, riders soon dashed on his chase as Maurice Formosa also fired his guns with a counter move. The second and third laps were on fire as the pace really picked up especially in the uphill sections. Ramon Grech who made a comeback to the sport was foiled by a mechanical mishap, as was Jason Vella. It was defending champion Etienne Bonello who had the better legs on the day as he managed to break free in the third lap with Formosa and Clive Ebejjer hot on his wheels. Bonnici suffered due to his early effort, ending up loosing ground on the Formosa-Ebejjer chasing tandem. A determined Bonello hammered onto the pedals to stay away as he progessively increased his lead to win in 1:25:54, Back in the race Formosa could not keep Ebejjer’s pace as the latter was home 1’24”’ down on Bonello. Formosa crossed the line in third place with Bonnici in forth just a few meters away in 1:28:54. Marie Claire Aquilina claimed the Lady’s championship while Jack Schiavone won the Sports Category.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND FIVE MIZIEB 20-06-10
Head to Head battle for the National Points Series Title...
The final round of the Cross Country National Points Series took place last Sunday at Mizieb.
The 30km off road race was a do or die feat for NPS provisional leader Clive Ebejjer and mtb veteran Etienne Bonello.
The race was nervous from the first pedal strokes with Mark Bonnici taking the lead in the first lap; however he was given little space by the chasing riders. Jason Vella and Gerard Said also played their cards early in the race but in the final laps it was down to just two riders, Bonello and Ebejjer whom the win would clam them the overall title. They raced each other through the final kilometres and despite the efforts to try to secure the race prior to the finish line it was in the final kilometre that the race unfolded when perhaps a more experienced Bonello launched a terrific attack in the final hill opening a dangerous gap on Ebejjer. Bonello hammered the pedals furiously as Ebejjer chased Bonello frantically till the line. Into the final meters Bonello managed to keep his lead by merely a few centimetres to win the race and jump up into first place of the national points series. After the race a lot of merit was given to Ebejjer’s race who despite loosing out on the overall title he was the undisputed most improved rider of the whole season. Mark Bonnici finished the race in third place followed by Said a few seconds later. Marie Claire Aquilina won the ladies race ahead of Danica Bonello Spiteri while the sports category was taken by Alexander Kandler followed by Nicholas Valenzia. With the National points series races coming to an end the Mizieb course will be once again battle ground for the National Championship which will take place later on next month.
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND FOUR CHADWICK LAKES 18-04-2010
Battle for overall title heats on..
The battle for the national points series title has intensified as Bonello claimed his second consecutive win last Sunday at Chadwick Lakes. The new racing circuit which was used for the race drew an encouraging number of participants. It featured a 1km climb on loose soil and clay that gradually increased its inclination at the top, this was followed by a twisting fast downhill with a final technical single track, a true test for mountain bike handling capabilities. The race started with a moderate pace set by Mark Bonnici until Bonello took the lead into the first climb setting a solid pace all the way to the top, Only Maurice Formosa and NPS provisional leader Clive Ebejer could keep to the pace as Bonello persisted with his action through the second and third lap. Undoubtly in splendid form Bonello attacked in the third climb to open a gap which however was neutralised by Ebejer with Formosa catching up later in the downhill. Into the fourth lap another progression by Bonello proved to be fruitful as he succeeded to break away and keep his slight lead through the fifth lap to win in 0:52:47. Ebejjer came in 17 seconds later while Formosa finished third 27 seconds behind Ebejjer. This result puts Bonello in the second place from Fourth in the overall standing while Ebejjer is still holding in top position with Formosa in third. Offroad queen Marie Claire Aquilina had an emphatic race on this technical circuit, despite having to deal with a mechanical mishap she finished the four lap distance in 49:04. In her debut Mountain Bike season Danica Bonello Spiteri struggled a bit in the technical sections to finish behind Aquilina. In the Sports Class it was Antwan Mugliett to dominate 0:47:40, followed by Alexander Kandler and Nicholas Valenzia
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND THREE DELLIMARA 04-04-2010
Bonello in top shape in Dellimara
The 3rd round of the mountain bike cross country series held earlier this month in Dellimara saw current national champion Etienne Bonello back in his winning form. Following the first round in Pembroke won by Maurice Formosa and the second round in Mizieb taken by Clive Ebejjer, the national points series is far more than closed for the overall win. Considered the most gruelling race in the MTB circuit the race in Dellimara proved to be the feared leg breaker with its climbs and technical sections. From the start Maurice Formosa took the lead up the first climb pushing the pace till the top opening a gap on Clive Ebejjer. Only Etienne Bonello could keep up with the race pace of Formosa. The duo kept their lead till the third lap as Bonello attacked Formosa in the end of the same hill, he managed to take a slight advantage as he struggled to keep the pace high. Formosa suffered his initial efforts as he was eventually caught by Ebejjer some time later. Bonello rode to his first mountain bike win of the season in 1:11:48, Ebejjer was second 20 seconds later while Formosa had to settle for third place 26 seconds down on Ebejjer. Marie Claire Aquilina had a brilliant show in the ladies category by clocking her four lap race in 54:14. Danica Bonello Spiteri finished second in 1:01:29 followed by Marica Micallef in 1:08:09. Antwan Mugliett won the sports category in 54:13 followed by Alexander Kandler in 58:48 and Jack Schiavone in 1:00:47. The Juniors race was topped by Matthew Abdilla in 59:17 and Bernard Azzopardi in 1:01:28. The fourth round of the Mountain Bike Points series will take place this Sunday 18th April at Chadwick lakes.
official results posted
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND TWO MIZIEB 28-02-2010
Surprise win by Clive Ebejjer today at Mizieb!
official results posted
NATIONAL POINT SERIES ROUND ONE PEMBROKE
The Mountain Bike Season kicked off last Sunday with the traditional season opener race in Pembroke.
Under a near perfect sunny wintery day the riders raced from the start, a few metres away from the BMX track down to the Pembroke ranges, a circuit which is characterised by rocky terrain with technical downhills and leg breaking uphill single tracks. Different categories were held to cater for various biking abilities with the Elite category fielding Malta’s top bikers. From the start Gerard Said took the lead as he set off to the first downhill in a frantic pace, He was followed closely by Maurice Formosa, Mark Bonnici, Etienne Bonello and Clive Ebejer. It was Formosa that took the lead in the first climb with Bonello and Bonnici hot on his wheel. Said suffered his initial effort and lost some ground on the leading trio, with Ebejer following closely. The three front runners kept a solid pace as this set an interesting challenge for the overall win. It proved to be an unfortunate day for current national champion Bonello who suffered mechanical problems which forced him to stop often to fix a twisted chain. Formosa, who showed to have winning form dropped Bonnici to cruise to victory in 0:51:53. Bonnici crossed the line 2 minutes behind Formosa. Ebejjer was third in 54:22, with Bonello managing to finish the race in 4th place despite the chain problem. In the Sports Category it was the day for Jeffrey Borg who produced an excellent race; he was followed by Owen Ciantar and Antwan Mugliett. Marie Claire Aquilina showed some good mountain bike ability as she cruised to victory ahead of Triathlon champion Danica Bonello Spiteri in her Mountain bike debut.
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The Malta Mountain Bike Association will be holding its annual general
meeting on Monday 25th January 2010 at the Green Grove Guest house at
8:30pm.
You are invited to attend this meeting.
Agenda
Minutes of Meeting
Administrative report
Financial report
Election for new committee
open discussion
registration for racing season
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Cross Country National Points Series Round Five - Dellimara - 19/04/09
Round Five of the Mountain Bike Cross Country National Points series took place last Sunday in Dellimara. The 4.8 km route which is reknowed for its leg breaking 10% climb and its fast technical downhill featured 8 times for the elite riders who are seeking qualification for the GSSE. From the start it was Gerard Said (Qormi) who took the lead into the initial climb, followed closely by Etienne Bonello (Corratec - Team Greens) and Maurice Formosa (Melita Pedal Power). Bonello and Formosa managed to drop Said by the top and kept the solid pace to maintain this lead. Said, David Galea
(Qormi), Jason Muscat, Clive Ebejer, Mark Bonnici (Melita) and James Dimech (Mosta AF Sign Studio) formed the group of the chasers as they combined their forces to try and reel in the Bonello-Formosa Tandem who was making
ground. The duo shared the pace in front however a fresher Bonello upped the pace in the fourth lap to drop Formosa. He cruised to victory in 1:36:28. Formosa suffered a deficit of 2 minutes over Bonello as he finished second in 1:38:30. Mean while back in the race Galea suffered technical problems and had to abandon his race for third place as Ebejer passed to finish third in 1:42:36.
In the ladies race, Marie Claire Aquilina rode to an optimum performance, however she lost precious time when she was involved in an accident with another rider. UK based Stephania Magri also took her chance in qualifying as she produced a promising performance despite recovering from illness.
Present at the race was director of Sport Mark Cutajar who was monitoring the race progress and making his evaluations.
A third and qualifying race will be held this Saturday afternoon on the same venue at 2:30pm
So far Etienne Bonello, Maurice Formosa and Marie Claire Aquilina have reached the pre-set qualifying time as they start their final preparations with a number of competitions in Sicily.
Cross Country National Points Series Round Four - Mizieb - 05/04/09
The fourth round of the cross country national point series took place last Sunday in Mizieb. The seven laps 42.7km race circuit offered the participants a difficult challenge through its inclinations, loose terrain and technical sections. This was the first qualification race valid for GSSE selection. With such an important race the elite riders stormed out of the starting line with NPS leader Etienne Bonello of Corratec-Team Greens taking the lead and setting the pace in the first Kilometres. Hot on his wheel were David Galea, Ramon Grech and Gerard Said of Qormi KIA together with Clive Ebejer and Jason Muscat. It was Said that upped the tempo half way through the first lap as Bonello followed closely as they both opened a lead. They shared the pace to increase their advantage as they cruised through the first lap with the immediate chasers at a close distance. Bonello proved to be on a good day as he manged to drop Said in the second lap and hammer onto the pedals to increase his lead clocking himself each lap to ride to a new national course record in 1:38:17. Back in the race Said was chased down by the Muscat, Galea & Ebejer while Grech had to abandon the race due to a mechanical mishap. The four riders raced each other for the remaining laps and their finish was bound to be determined by a final sprint. A surprise for Ebejer and for the people watching, as he managed to out smart the more experienced rivals and clinch the second place in 1:42:50 followed by Said in 1:42:56. Muscat was fourth in 1:53:00 and Galea fifth in 1:53:06.
Despite being the only lady in the race Marie Claire Aquilina of Team Greens came up with a record breaking performance clocking the 30.5km in 1:19:48.
The next GSSE qulifying race will be held on Sunday 19th April at Dellimara.
Cross Country National Points Series Round Three - Dellimara - 22/02/09
Round three of the Mountain Bike Cross Country National Points series took place last Sunday in Dellimara. The race was organised by the Malta mountain Bike Association. The 4.8 km route which is reknowed for its leg breaking 10% climb and its fast technical downhill feautred a number of times for the different categories. The Elite riders had to ride the course 7 times as they started off in a frantic pace up the first climb with David Galea (Qormi KIA) and Etienne Bonello (Corratec - Team Greens) racing each other to open a lead by the top. The two proceeded in this action however they were chased down by Gerard Said (Qormi KIA), Ramon Grech (Qormi KIA), Jason Muscat & Maurice Formosa (Melita Pedal Power). A dangerous counter attack by Muscat who opened an immediate lead let the others watch as he passed swiftly in front. However experienced Bonello rode wisely to real the leading rider with a constant progression with Said managing to keep on his pace. As the duo caught up Muscat, it was Bonello who timed the decisive move as he attacked just before the final downhill of the first lap. He took the lead as he pedalled hard to the finish area and up to the subsequent half a kilometer 10% climb. Muscat and Said were on his chase as Muscat suffered puncture problems and had to abandon the race some time later. Said continued with his pace while from behind Maurice Formosa was making a comeack into the race after a bike change due to a pedal problem. Bonello struggled in his solo breakaway and managed to arrive to the finish with a 1:45 minute lead. Meanwhile Said lost ground as he skid on a tricky turn while Formosa retained the second spot to the finish in 1:29:09. Ramon Grech concluded his race in third place in 1:29:36 while Said had to settle for the fourth spot in 1:32:25. David Galea clocked 1:32:52 to finish fifth. Later on Formosa was disqualified due to the illegal bike change. Marie Claire Aquilina raced against the clock to finish her race in 1:17:45. Mark Vella, Norman Pace and Harold Psaila were the first three in the Sports Category. In the meantime Bonello, Said, Formosa, Grech , Clive Ebejer & Aquilina will be taking part in the Afxentia MTB stage race in Cyprus this weekend. The 3 stage race will be held on the same course of the GSSE. Olympic medalists and other top european riders are expected to be present at this international season opener race. The Maltese riders are expected to inspect and practice the course in order to determine the best equipment choice especially tyres and suspension setups in view of the forthcoming GSSE games
Cross Country National Points Series Round Two - Mizieb - 10/02/09
The second round of the cross country national point series took place on the 10th February in Mizieb. The six laps around the race circuit offered the participants a difficult challenge through its inclinations, loose terrain and technical sections. The same route will be used later on to hold one of the qualification races for the selection of riders to take part in the GSSE games in Cyprus. The main elite race offered an exciting show to the numerous viewers who gathered on the course. From the word go Jason Muscat dashed out of the starting line to gain the first position in the first single track section. He was closely monitored by David Galea who took the lead a bit later. Ramon Grech, Gerard Said, Maurice Formosa and Etienne Bonello followed closely the front runners. However it was Bonello who made a decisive move to split this group apart. He attacked in the final climb of the first lap were he opened a dangerous lead. Muscat was on his chase a few meters behind while Galea, Formosa and Said followed next. Bonello proved to have good legs as he hammered down on the pedals to increase his lead clocking himself each lap to ride to a new National course record in 1:24:11. A pace which would have qualified him for Gsse had the race distance been a lap longer. In the meantime Muscat cruised to Second place in 1:27:25 also in a qualifying pace. David Galea finish third in 1:30:04. Said was in fourth spot while Formosa and Grech had to retire from the race due to an accident. A commendable effort was made by Junior rider James Dimech who wholeheartidly has joined in the elite battle for a place in Team Malta. Dominic Cutajar flies the flag for Gozo as his times improve in every race. Marie Claire Aquilina was the only female in the race however she was far from being slow as she clocked a qualifying pace.
Harold Psaila was first in the sports category followed by Alan Chetcuti and Mark Xerri
The next race will be held in Dellimara on Sunday 22nd February. Later this month the National team will visit Cyprus to visualise the proposed track which will be used for GSSE. The team will also compete in a world class international event on the same course.
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Mountain Bike Season Kicks off in Pembroke - Riders seeking GSSE Qualification - 18/01/09
The Mountain Bike racing season kicked off last Sunday with the first round of the National Points Series in Pembroke.The race attracted a record number of participants in the Elite category who are seeking qualification for next June's GSSE games in Cyprus. The race organised by the Malta Mountain Bike Association consisted of 10 laps round a 3.5 km route which featured technical downhills and single tracks on rocky & loose terrain. Typical of a mountain bike race the start was very fast with riders racing each other to obtain the leading positions in the first downhill. Jason Muscat took the lead from the start, followed closely by National Champion Etienne Bonello, The rest of the 15 men strong pack followed down the winding rocky descent. Muscat persisted on his action up the returning climb as Bonello took the lead with Maurice Formosa, David Galea and Gerard Said hot on his wheel. By the top of the hill Bonello opened a slight gap which he took advantage of in the subsequent lap. He kept a solid pace to increase his lead and win the race in 1:25:16. Back in the race, Jason Muscat had trouble with his bike's saddle and had to throw the towel in half way through the race. Ramon Grech was making a comeback after he sustained a puncture in the initial lap, he managed to reel down the chasing riders, launch an attack and open a gap. Grech cruised strongly to finish second in 1:30:38. David Galea was third in 1:33:42 followed by Gerard Said and Maurice Formosa. The next moutain bike race will be held on Tuesday 10th February at Mizieb.
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GSSE Cyprus 2009
Minimum Qualifying Standard
MEN
7 laps Mizieb 42.7km = 1:42
8 laps Dellimara 38.4km = 1:42
LADIES
5 laps Mizieb 30.5km = 1:28
6 laps Dellimara 28.8km = 1:28
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MEDITERRENEAN FRIENDSHIP GAMES
CROSS COUNTRY RACE
SATURDAY 3RD MAY 2008
PEMBROKE - 10:0AM
CATEGORIES:
ELITE - 10LAPS 34KM
LADIES - 6 LAPS 20.4KM
MASTERS/SPORTS/JUNIORS - 6 LAPS
MALTA SELECTION RIDERS
ELITE: ETIENNE BONELLO , RAMON GRECH
LADIES: STEPHANIA MAGRI, MARIE CLAIRE AQUILINA
OFFICIALS: PIERRE ZAMMIT ENDRICH, STEPHEN CAMILLERI
