Maltese mountain bikers keep on etching their names in history on foreign soil.

This time round it was Marie Claire Aquilina who did the country proud when she was the first female to cross the line at the Grand Fondo Valle dei Vini, in Sambuca, Sicily.

Marie Claire Aquilina during the race in Sicily held recently.

Aquilina needs no introduction and is considered to be one of our best and most versatile cyclists, claiming titles in both mountain biking and road cycling events, locally and abroad.

The race saw Aquilina joining around 700 cyclists from all over Italy to take part in a 44 kilometre race that took riders up an elevation of 1,600 metres in altitude.

The technical route saw 44 per cent of it having a vertical climb with some sections reaching a maximum  gradient of 24 per cent. Added to that, 35 per cent of the itinerary consisted of a technical downhills.

The race saw the participants leaving the town of Sambuca and head towards a challenging climb followed by a series of curves and cross roads through a pine forest.

Whilst enjoying spectacular views of the Belice valley, the race followed a succession of fast paths and wide descents.

After almost 16 kilometres, a demanding descent on loose gravel terrain and a single track ensued.

A fast track followed with cyclists descending on chalky soil before heading back into the woods. A single asphalted track led to the finish line back in Sambuca.

Other Maltese riders in the race were Patrick Scicluna (FRM Team Sicilia), Mark Micallef (The Cyclist) and Justin Gauci (Agones SFC), all doing remarkably well in their respective classes. 

Meanwhile, the next commitment on the local scene will be the third race of the Trustmoore Cross Country National Point Series scheduled for Selmun on Sunday.

For  more information please visit www.maltamountainbike.org.