Month: October 2016

Downhill National Championship 2016


WARDIJA DH 17.09.16

The Malta Mountain Bike Association for 2016 which brought 19 riders to the location. The event was held in Wardija on one of Malta's fast tracks which found the riders exceeding 50k speeds over the rough and challenging terrain (view trail segment on Strava).  The race was won by Jonathan Darmanin in the men's category and Gabriella Veneziani for the ladies category. Great start to the season which will be followed by 2 more races in 2016.  The next race will see athletes competing for the Downhill National Champion title.

Mark Zammit dropping in to the start of the downhill course.  Although crashing out during training sessions and injuring himself, Mark still managed pull himself together and finish off the race in 4th place.

Damian Camilleri heading down the first straight of the course towards a sketchy berm.

 

All riders went head to head hitting two runs each to try and get that winning run   View the full results here. 

Above:  Mark Zammit, first runner up for the event, heading into the speed track with full concentration.

 

Below: Gerth Lapira testing his Mondraker with hands on the brakes down one of the most challenging sections on the course..

The loose and dry terrain allowed for the spectators to experience the adrenaline of the riders from the sidelines.  There was no doubt that all the riders pushed their bikes and fitness to the limit from top to bottom slashing approximately 3 seconds from their training times.

Above: Wayne Schembri tackling a steep drop leaving a trail of dust and debris behind.

 

Below: Claudine Gatt keeping control of her bike with hands on the brakes.

Left: Wayne Schembri climbing the steepest section of the course.  Right: Team MTBM post-race discussions.

 

Once again the Malta Mountain Bike Association brought us another well organised event.  For future events we hope to see more riders as well as spectators joining in the action.  We'll keep you updated.

Above: Jonathan Darmanin celebrating his first Downhill win beside Mark Bonnici from The MMBA.





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XC National Champs 2016

This weekend seems like it's going to be a mountain bike weekend.  Following the downhill race  on Saturday, the XC athletes will take it to Mgarr to compete for the national championship title.  Although the original race location has been changed, the Mgarr trail makes for a great track with technical descents and technical climbs making it an awesome ride. 

Date  -  16.10.16

Venue  -  Mgarr

Time  -  08.00hrs - 11.00hrs

TRACK WALK - The race start is located in the Lippija area overlooking Gnejna and Ghajn Tuffieha bay with great views all round.  It sets off with a loop around a technical rock single track and heads towards the Lippija downhill.  The trail goes on to a technical climb over some loose and sharp rocks up to the Lippija table top where the riders will ride towards a climb alongside the cliff edge which will take them back to the start/finish.

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RACE STRUCTURE  Elite 6 Laps | Open 4 Laps | Ladies 4 Laps | Masters (40+) 3 Laps | Juniors (U/18) 2 Laps

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DH National Champs 2016

Date  -  15.10.16

Venue  -  Selmun

Time  -  14.00hrs - 17.00hrs

The next race on the agenda will be for the title of the Downhill National Championship.  The event will be held on the clay slopes of Selmun.  There's no shortage of flow on this track finishing off with a sprint to the finish.  Let's hope that the weather will be kind to the riders.


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RACE STRUCTURE  2 runs per rider.  Best run wins

TRACK WALK The race start is on the left hand side of the barracks of Fort Campbell ending up down by the salt pans of Selmun.  It starts off with a twisted flow down the clay dunes heading into a short pedal, then into a rock section.  The track ends with a sprint to the finish with three small drops just before you clock out.

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WATCH:PREVIOUS RACE IN SELMUN

Warning: track is not identitical to this Saturday's race

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The 2016 XC series RACE 4

Date  -  09.10.16

Venue  -  Selmun

Time  -  08.00hrs - 11.00hrs

The next XC race for the 2016 season will be with us this Sunday and we shall enjoy the scenery that Selmun has to offer.  Riders have already been spotted practicing the route to get used to the ever changing terrain.  The same location will be used as the venue for the Downhill National Championship race  which will be held on the 15.10.16


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TRACK WALK The trail starts off at the entrance to the barracks of Fort Campbell heading down the side in the direction towards Mistra Bay.  At the bottom of the descent the track heads left for a cliff-side ride over a rock downhill section all the way down towards the sea.  This section will challenge the riders skills over technical terrain at high speeds.  The next section takes the riders through trekking trails around the bottom of Selmun, often used by 4x4 enthusiasts.  The track finishes off with a climb towards the start/finish line over the clay hills with loose rock spread all over.  Rider stamina will definitely be tested here.  The number of laps will depend on the rider category.

RACE STRUCTURE

Elite  -  5 Laps
Ladies  -  3 Laps
Sport  -  3 Laps

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