The Malta Mountain Bike Association hosted the third and final race of the 2025 Cisk 0.0 Cross Country Series in Miżieb last weekend.
Before the race began, participants observed a minute of silence in honour of Frank Dimech, a stalwart of Malta’s cycling community, who passed away just days earlier.
Luke Borg capped off a strong cross country series by remaining unbeaten throughout.
However, his final race was no easy feat, as he faced fierce competition from Stefan Scerri and Clyve Chetcuti, who battled side by side from the very first lap until the finish.
In the Ladies’ category, Diana Muscat delivered a good performance, securing victory ahead of Lara Buttigieg and Fiona Tedesco.
The Sport Category saw last year’s series regular, Anchu Kogl, make a strong return, claiming the top spot ahead of Josmar Vella and Keith Bartolo.
The 40+ class produced a thrilling showdown between Alex Portelli and Jeffrey Borg, with Portelli edging out Borg by just three seconds to take the win. Jamie Camilleri place third.
Meanwhile, the 50+ Category was won by Carmelo Abela, who secured a comfortable lead over runner-up Federico Sermarini, while Mario Zammit took third place.
In the E-Bike Category, Bernard Sammut took the win.
In the final classification, Luke Borg, Stefan Scerri, and Joaquin Rojas secured the top spots on the Elite podium, while Diana Muscat, Fiona Tedesco, and Marie Claire Aquilina took the honours in the ladies’ class.
The Sport category was won by Robert Grech, with Josmar Vella and Keith Bartolo finishing second and third respectively.
In the 40+ category, Jeffrey Borg, Alex Portelli, and Liran Ben-Ari claimed the podium positions, while the 50+ category saw Carmelo Abela, Mario Zammit, and Stephen Grima take the top three places.
Youth categories
The Youth class delivered exciting performances, with Ryan Gatt, Josch Louro, and Matthias Gauci maintaining their series standings, as Gatt secured his third consecutive win.
In the U-15 boys’ race, Neil Cassar sealed both the race and series victory, followed by Ethan Cumbo and Jake Said.
In the girls’ category, Nina Debono Curmi claimed first place after a strong challenge from Katie-Anne Vella Wood, with Kim Micallef Cann securing third. The final series classification mirrored these results.
The Under-12 Boys’ race was a tightly contested battle, with Kruiven Farrugia clinching victory just three seconds ahead of Andrew Spiteri.
Nolan Tabone followed closely in third, trailing by only one second.
In the Girls’ race, Zaliya Dimech took the win ahead of Amy Micallef Cann. These results were also reflected in the final series classification.
“This year’s Cisk 0.0 Cross Country Series has once again showcased the incredible talent, association president Pierre Zammit Endrich said.
“We are seeing remarkable growth in our riders, from the youth categories to the elite level, and it’s exciting to witness their development firsthand.
“We are looking forward to the possibility of seeing some of them take on the challenge of the Games of the Small States of Europe in Andorra later on this year.”
Meanwhile with this year’s Series over, a team from the Malta Mountain Bike Association – Luke Borg, Clyve Chetcuti, Stefan Scerri, and Ryan Gatt – are competing in the Argentario Port Santo Stefano Race in Grosseto, Italy.
This international race will serve as crucial preparation for their potential participation in the Games of the Small States of Europe this May.
The team is accompanied by official Mark Bonnici, with their participation supported by the Malta Mountain Bike Association, the Malta
Cycling Federation, and the Maltese Olympic Committee.
The next event to be hosted by the Malta Mountain Bike Association will be the National Championships, scheduled for May 4 in Pembroke.
