The first round of races from the Cross Country National Points Series was held at Miżieb, on Sunday.

The race was staged under the auspices of the Malta Mountain Bike Association and sponsored by Magri Cycles.

The 4.6 km circuit is characterised by rocky terrain, technical single tracks and a challenging descent at the end of the lap.

The course was covered six times by Elite Category riders, five times by women competitors and four times by those bracketed in Sport Category.

In the Elite race, it was full throttle from the word go as riders dashed to the first uphill with Mark Bonnici (Agones) and Maurice Formosa (The Cyclist) soon opening a gap on the rest of the field.

The duo kept a solid pace to increase their lead. At the final lap, however, Formosa sped clear to win the race in 1:20.35.

Bonnici made it home three minutes later, in 1:23.32, while Etienne Bonello (Team Greens) settled for third in 1:28.50.

Danica Bonello Spiteri, better known for her exploits in triathlon, won the women’s race in 1:21:36. She was followed by Marie Claire Aquilina in 1:24:01.

Aquilina was leading the race when she had to stop and repair a punctured tyre in the fourth lap. Lara Buttigieg pedalled home in third place.

Newcomer Alex Gatt was the fastest rider in the Sport Category race as he covered the distance in 1:02:50. Eyal Steinitz (1:04.10) followed in second place and Francesco Sultana was third in 01:04:15

The next race on the association’s calendar will be at Mġarr on Sunday.