Clyve Chetcuti Dominates Season Opener in Miżieb

Clyve Chetcuti delivered an impressive performance on Saturday afternoon in Miżieb as the Malta Mountain Bike Association launched the 2026 season with the Cisk 0.0 Cross Country Series opener.

Chetcuti immediately took command of the Elite Category, holding the lead from the very start. Behind him, the chasing group—Andrew Caruana, Mark Bonnici, Antoine Sultana, Luke Borg and Jeffrey Borg—battled fiercely through the opening laps. The fast pace saw Bonnici and Borg briefly lose ground, though Bonnici recovered well before a minor mechanical issue cost him valuable time. This allowed Caruana, Borg and Sultana to move ahead.

A series of punctures reshaped the standings, first affecting Caruana and later Sultana, who struggled with repeated issues despite a strong effort to regain positions. In the final stages, Chetcuti maintained his advantage to secure victory, with Bonnici finishing second and Jeffrey Borg third.

In the women’s race, Diana Muscat claimed first place ahead of Fiona Tedesco. Keith Bartolo won the Sport Category, while Gordon Zahra triumphed in the 40+ division, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Alex Portelli. Domenic Cutajar took victory in the 50+ category.

Youth categories also produced clear winners, including Ryan Gatt (U19 Boys), Neil Cassar (U17 Boys), Katie Anne Vella Wood (U17 Girls), and Nolan Tabone (U12 Boys).

MMBA President Fiona Tedesco praised the strong turnout and enthusiasm, noting the encouraging rise of young riders moving into higher categories. The next race in the series will take place on Saturday, 2 May, at Majjistral Park.

#MaltaDaily