The 2016 cycling season got underway with a mass start race on the Żebbuġ bypass, organised by Mosta AF Sign Studio Cycling Club and held under the auspices of the Malta Cycling Federation.
The race attracted a record number of participants, 99 in all, spread across all eight categories.
Strong participation was also registered from the club’s academy members who are considered to have a bright future in the sport.
A strong pace made for an exciting race from the start of the 22-lap, 99km elite course.
Drama unfolded 200 metres from the finish line when the riders, battling for a better position to help their team leader to the finish line, came too close to each other, causing a crash.
A number of cyclists fell off their bikes, resulting in a number of injuries.
Mosta AF Sign Studio’s Pierre Borg kept his cool to emerge victorious after outsprinting veteran cyclists Maurice Formosa (The Cyclist) and Steve Sciberras (Agones SFC) to the finish line in 2hrs 40 minutes.
“Our thoughts, first and foremost, go to the injured riders, and we take this opportunity to wish them a speedy recovery,” Edward Enriquez, Mosta CC general secretary, said.
“Unfortunately, in hotly-contested races, like that of Sunday, these accidents can happen but thankfully they are few and far between.
“On a more positive note, we are thrilled to see athletes from our Academy come out in full force and perform well, they are the future of our sport and we are doing our best to nurture these talents.”
In the U-12 category, 13 riders from the Mosta CC academy raced one lap (4.5km) of the course. Matthew Galea Pirotta (Mosta CC) held off team-mate Miguel Galea at the finish line while Tristan Aquilina came in third.
There was another close finish in the girls’ category as Kristina Spiteri (The Cyclist) pipped Justine Degiorgio (Mosta AF Sign Studio CC) to first place by just two seconds.
Mosta’s Hannah Dandria came in third place.
The Mosta club cadets swept the podium places in the U-15 category.
Gianluca Camilleri topped the three-lap race after a tight battle with James Galea.
Nikol Micallef finished third.
There was a tense duel in the Masters 40+ category when Patrick Scicluna (Mosta) clinched first place after a hotly-contested race with Michael Camilleri (Team Greens) and Ivan Zammit (Birkirkara St Joseph).
Zammit had to settle for third place, coming in one second adrift of Camilleri.
In the Masters 60+ category, it was an uncontested solo ride for Emanuel Camilleri who completed the 10-lap course in a respectable time of one hour nine minutes and 55 seconds while Michael Lia (Mosta CC) topped the O-50 class ahead of Gejtu Catania (The Cyclist).
In the juniors category, national road champion Kurt Muscat (Mosta CC) continued to show his prowess by edging away from Nicholas Attard Montaldo (The Cyclist) and Brandon Sultana (Gozo Greyhounds) 100 metres from the finish line.
Mosta Cycling Club were assisted by the Żebbuġ Local Council, the Malta Cycling Federation, Qormi Police Station, Malta Traffic Police, Transport Malta and the Emergency First Response Team.