Team Gaudos excel in 4 Islands Epic

Team Gaudos, composed of Maltese endurance athlete Stephen Grima and Croatian rider Mario Matulović, has successfully completed the 4 Islands Epic in Croatia, a demanding multi-stage mountain bike race renowned for its wild terrain and thrilling descents.

Racing across the Croatian islands, Team Gaudos finished 11th in the General Classification in the Masters category, a strong result in a field of 53 Masters teams and 195 teams overall.

The duo were moving between eighth and ninth place for most of the race before facing a number of setbacks during the final two days. Grima battled illness while the team suffered a series of flat tyres, pushing them to eleventh in the General Classification standings. Despite the setbacks, the team crossed the finish line satisfied with the performance.

Reflecting on the experience, Grima argued that “it was a tough couple of closing days; being unwell and dealing with repeated punctures made it far more challenging than it needed to be.” However, he remarked that “still, finishing 11th in Masters at a race of this calibre, in a field this deep, is a result we can be proud of and we can really say we conquered the rocks,” highlighting the positives taken despite the setbacks faced.

With the 4 Islands Epic now behind him, Grima immediately turns his attention to the next challenge: the Andorra Epic Pyrenees, where he will partner Diana Muscat in the Mixed Category.

#MaltaDaily