All three Maltese teams have successfully completed the Andorra Epic, closing an intense four days of mountain bike racing through the rugged terrain of the Pyrenees.
The final stage brought the event to a spectacular finish, with riders facing more than 1,000 metres of continuous descent on the Commençal trail.
A major highlight for Malta came through Brandon Sultana, who secured Epic Legend status after completing the race. The title is awarded to riders who finish three different Epic Series races. Sultana is now only the second Maltese rider to earn the honour, following Stephen Grima, who received the title at the Absa Cape Epic in South Africa in 2025.
Team Gebel u Blat, made up of Andrew Caruana and Brandon Sultana, completed the four stages in 13:45:04.8, finishing 21st in the Masters’ Men category and 61st overall.
The pair entered the final stage with a clear objective: to reach the finish line and secure Sultana’s Epic Legend medal. They still pushed hard, managing to protect their overall standing after a fast and demanding final route.
“Crossing that final finish line meant a lot,” Sultana said. “The aim today was simply to complete the race and earn the Epic Legend medal, but we still wanted to do it in a good time. Andrew and I worked hard for this over the four days, so it was satisfying to finish it together.”
Maltese Riders, made up of Jeffrey Borg and Antoine Sultana, finished 25th in the Men’s Open category and 29th overall, with a total time of 16:37:36.6.
The pair rode a steady and consistent race, climbing gradually through the leaderboard before giving everything in the closing stage. The final day covered 45km from La Massana, with 1,600m of climbing, including an 18km ascent along scenic singletrack and another 12km climb towards the UCI Cross-Country Bike Park.
“There’s great satisfaction in completing a race of this level,” Borg said. “For now it’s time to rest and recover — then we’ll see what comes next.”
Team Gaudos, made up of Stephen Grima and Diana Muscat, completed the race in 16:45:09.2, finishing 5th in the final stage and 6th overall in their category.
The pair had endured a difficult penultimate day, when Muscat crashed and Grima’s bike was damaged. Despite the setback, they recovered to close the race strongly.
For Muscat, who was competing in her first multi-stage race, finishing the event carried special meaning.
“This was my first multi-stage race, and whilst the crash on the penultimate day was a setback, the support shown and the experience shared with Stephen were immeasurable,” she said. “It certainly made it easier for me to complete the race, particularly at a point when finishing was in doubt.”
The Epic story is not over yet for Grima, who will next line up alongside Patrick Scicluna at the Swiss Epic from 19 to 23 July.
A tough race, three finishers, and another proud chapter for Maltese mountain biking.
