Team Gaudos conquers the Rocks at the 4 Islands Epic in Croatia

Team Gaudos, composed of Maltese endurance athlete Stephen Grima and Croatian rider Mario Matulović, has successfully completed the 4 Islands Epic in Croatia, a demanding multi-stage mountain bike race renowned for its wild terrain and some of the most technical and dangerous descents on the international MTB calendar.

The achievement comes less than a month after Grima completed his second Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race in South Africa, widely regarded as one of the toughest mountain bike stage races in the world.

Racing across the Croatian islands, Team Gaudos finished 11th in the general classification in the Masters category – a strong result in a field of 53 Masters teams and 195 teams overall.

The duo were moving between eighth and ninth place for most of the race before a tough final two days – during which Grima battled illness and the team suffered a series of flat tyres – pushed them to eleventh in the overall standings.

Despite the setbacks, the team crossed the finish line satisfied with the performance.

“It was a tough couple of closing days; being unwell and dealing with repeated punctures made it far more challenging than it needed to be,” said Stephen Grima.

“Still, finishing 11th in the Masters at a race of this calibre, in a field this deep, is a result we can be proud of and we can really say we conquered the rocks.”

The 4 Islands Epic is known for its wild, unpredictable terrain – with numerous dangerous and tricky downhills that tested every team in the field.

Team chemistry was central to the outcome. Grima and Matulović worked well together throughout the stages, keeping pace with strong competitors and pushing each other through the hardest sections.

Matulović’s deep knowledge of the region – this being his home terrain – proved an invaluable advantage on the more treacherous descents and technical singletracks.

Looking ahead

With the 4 Islands Epic now behind him, Grima immediately turns his attention to the next challenge: the Andorra Epic Pyrenees, where he will compete in the Mixed Category, partnering with Diana Muscat.

The Andorra edition features a route that changes year on year and seeks to surpass previous editions –  with more exciting singletracks, more rewarding climbs, more spectacular views, and more opportunities to conquer the Pyrenees.

In a statement, Team Gaudos showed their gratitude to sponsors Extra Karte, Visit Malta, SG Woodworks Ltd, Raico, National Gypsum Limited Malta, Wurth Malta, Pitre Hardware, Lourdes Opticians, JV Pharma, A. Caruana Enterprises Ltd and Xlendi Supermarket.