Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/319158
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 28 MAY 2014 Sport 22 MOTORSPORTS CYCLING End of season autocross event next Sunday Podium places for ASMK Riders in Messina and Santa Pod THE last ASMK Pasta Poiatti Na- tional Autocross Championship event will be held next Saturday 31st May 2014 starting at 7.00pm till late. These races will continue under artificial lighting. The dat's program is to include the 7th Mo- tocross Championship event start- ing at 4.00pm. The pre-Race Prac- tice sessions will be held on Friday from 6.00pm onwards. Though Mela Zammit is declared winner of the 2013/14 Autocross National Championship yet the Runner-up placing is still in compe- tition mainly between Vince Farru- gia on his VW Polo and Christian Mark Galea on his Fiat Ritmo. Four (4) points separate them while Josef Grech on his Fiesta is battling for this Runner-up placing too. On Sunday 25th May ASMK held the long awaited Gozo En- duro Race at San Lawrenz quarry which is surrounded with beautiful scenery. 33 competitors distributed into 3 main classes started on the 3 kilometer hard rock track laid on different terrain. Each rider had a practice run and two Timed Runs for Class and Overall placings. James Zahra on his JYamaha 250cc in Class A registered his best time of 3 mins. 27.33secs. Ian Scicluna (Honda 250cc) placed 2nd in Class with 3 mins. 44.14 secs. £rd place goes to Joseph Scicluna on a Honda 125cc bike with 4 mins. 5.35 secs. Class B for 0ver 250cc bike is dominated by Matthew Gauci on his 300cc KTM with his best time of 3 mins. 30.9 secs. Ace Enduro rider Alex Sant Fornier on his 450cc KTM registered his run in 3 mins. 40.59 secs. 3rd place goes to Victor Bajada also on a 300cc KTM who did his best run in 3 mins. 53.64 secs. This class was very well bat- tled and many times were close. The Trials Class was again won by young Rowen Bonello on his 290cc Beta Trials bike. Rowen registered a 4 mins. 5.37secs over the 3 Km long track with all kinds of obstacles on the way. Gozo rider Renato Mizzi is placed 2nd in Class with 4 mins. 16.32 secs. on his 250cc Beta. The 'Overall Winner' placing sponsored by Anastasi Dunlop Tyres is Class A winner James Za- hra with his best Overall time of 3 mins. 27.33 secs. Class B win- ner Matthew Gauci is Runner-Up with 3 mins. 30.9 secs. This little difference is building competition mainly between these two Enduro bike riders. ASMK would like to thank Apap family for their assistance, the quarry owners at San Lawrenz Ta' Muha and Ta' Swiss, the Gozo Ministry, Pasta Poiatti, Dunlop Malta, KTM Malta and Thomas Smith Insurance. Last ASMK Enduro Champion- ship event will be run next Satur- day evening 24th June 2014. Loca- tion will be published soon. Last Sunday 25th May three AS- MK Motocross riders were battling their way to the podium in the 2nd Motocross Championship race or- ganised by the Italian Federation in Sicily. The race was held at MX Track in Franca Villa in Messina. Paul Muscat on his 250cc KTM won his 2nd podium 2nd place in the Masters Class in the 20 mins race. Clayton Camilleri improved his placing and also won his 3rd place on the Podium of the 'MX2 Over 21' Class on his KTM 250cc bike. Edward Ciantar who ran in 2nd place for 7 laps was forced to retire due to a front tyre puncture which also resulted in damaging his bike. This ASMK Malta Mo- tocross team will be racing again in Sicily next September for more Championship races. ASMK Licenced Drag Racers Shawn Buttigieg and Luke Far- rugia were also Drag Racing their Suzuki Hyabusa 1300cc bikes in Santa Pod in UK. Both compete in the 'FIM-Europe Super Street Bike Cup' European Championship and are doing very well. Shawn did his best Quarter Mile run in 7.2769 second and winning 3rd place on the UK Podium. Luke did his best run in 7.3710 secs and he won 5th Overall in his place. Both teams of Shawn and Luke will be racing again on the 3rd to 6th July in Alas- taro track in Finland. ASMK wish success to all Maltese riders com- peting abroad. Quintana seizes pink jersey after epic stage 16 win Colombia's Nairo Quintana battled through treacherous conditions to win a controversial 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello on Tuesday and take the overall leader's pink jersey from compatriot Rigoberto Uran FINISHING eight seconds ahead of Canadian runner-up Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin Sharp), Quin- tana (Movistar) established an advantage of one minute and 41 seconds over second-placed Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), whom he had trailed by two min- utes and 40 seconds at the start of the day. Although Quintana was cel- ebrating at the end, there was plent y of unhappiness at the stage, which was cancelled last year due to adverse weather conditions, being allowed to go ahead at all given the snow and rain those taking part had to ride through. And to add to the sense of cha- os, a message on the race's official Twitter feed emerged mid-stage saying the descent of the Passo dello Stelvio was to be neutral- ised, only for another one to ap- pear later saying that was in fact not the case. An apology was posted by the Giro d 'Italia organisers, which said: "Wrong communication: no neutralisation for the descent from the Passo dello Stelvio. Sorry for the wrong information. £giro" Oleg Tinkov, owner of Team Tinkoff-Saxo, reacted by writing on Twitter: "What a poor £giro organisation! They said neutral- ised descent and Quintana at- tacked. Is there any fair play in cycling? £Mess £Scandal." On the issue of the weather, Uran's team boss Pat Lafevere made it clear on Twitter that he was not happy about the situa- tion, calling out International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson with a message that said: "Is this modern Cycling @BrianCooksonUCI £UCI ?" Cadel Evans' BMC Racing team- mate Brent Bookwalter posted a message on Tuesday morning before the race started saying: "Wise man says, and also lives... Just because you "can" doesn't mean you "should ". £giro @gi- roditalia £logic £safet y." Also, 2013 Tour de France win- ner Chris Froome wrote on Tues- day morning: "I feel sorry for the guys racing the Giro today. Be safe out there, too many serious injuries already!" Australian Evans, 10th on this stage, was third in the general classification, three minutes and 21 seconds off Quintana, while fourth overall was Frenchman Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar), who came third on Tuesday. Uran finished the stage in ninth place. There was also reason for cheer for Team Sky, with Dario Cataldo attacking solo on the ascent of the Stelvio to seal the Cima Coppi prize. Nairo Quintana crossed the line 4min 11sec ahead of Rigoberto Uran Download the MaltaToday App now