Brutal climbs, hair-raising descents, valuable finishing points, and 100 enthusiastic riders were all the ingredients needed to make for some thrilling off-road racing at Hog Bay Park at the weekend, in the final event of the nine-race Flying Colours Mountain Bike Series.

And the crowds of spectators who have followed the events around the island since November were treated to some fierce competition, as the curtain closed on the most successful series since it started four years ago.

In the Male A category, which has been dominated by junior riders all season, Matthew Oliviera started the day’s race safe in the knowledge that he had accumulated enough points to have the series sewn up.

Still, it was obvious from the start that he was not content rest on his laurels and the race got off to an explosive start with the top contenders all vying for position.

After an initial steady climb they faced the first extremely steep technical descent which tested their bike handling skills to the limit, with Kaden Hopkins leading a group of four that had already separated themselves from the rest of the field with Oliviera, Robin Horsefield, and Dylan Hill all in close contention.

Having negotiated the downhill the riders then faced a rugged leg-burning, lung-bursting accent back up to the top of the course, which forced riders throughout the morning to dismount and push their bikes before facing another fast downhill section which took them to the start-finish line.

Robin Horsefield took charge after a fierce start and slowly built a lead at the front of the group.

Oliviera tried to keep pace, but Horsefield was clearly on an inspired ride opening the gap until he was out of sight and ultimately out of reach.

Forced to stop and tighten a loose rear wheel it was clear that Oliviera would have to settle for second, with Hill rounding out the top three. In the series long points series however, Oliviera claimed top spot, Hill in second and Horsefield third.

Another rider assured of lifting the series title was male veteran Hans Hirschi, who having won six of the first eight races could afford to just finish the event on Sunday.

However, it was soon clear that he wanted to go out with another victory as he set the pace from the off.

After four laps he appeared to have an insurmountable lead over second place Dexter Swan, who was one of only two other people to win a race this season, but the clock told a different story as Swans lap was a couple of seconds faster, then on lap five he pulled back another 20 seconds as Hirschi was clearly suffering.

On the next lap the writing was on the wall as Swan got faster and Hirschi faded, finally being passed with Swan riding on to a well-deserved win.

In the season points series Hirschi claimed top spot with Swan second. With a close contest for third on the day and in the series going on behind, Peter Dunne and Chris Roque were fighting for valuable points, but it would be Roques’s superior descending that proved to be decisive as he went on the claim third.

Without doubt the most exciting race of the day was the Male B category in a winner takes all race between Adam Kirk and Andrew Hern, with Kirk a single point ahead in the standings going into the race.

It was Hern who threw down the gauntlet riding on the front from the start with Kirk no more than a bike length behind as they matched each other lap after lap.

Arthur Pitcher, the winner of the last event at Ferry Reach, was nowhere in sight after a crash early in the first lap. That crash almost claimed Kirk too but, in the ride of the day, Blake Camara was in close contention with the leaders.

Camara’s position was all the more surprising considering he had only just returned to competition after breaking his collarbone earlier in the season.

On the last lap there was nothing between the three, but disaster struck for Hern as his chain came off forcing him to stop to fix it and dropping him out of contention.

In the end, Kirk went on to win just ahead of a happy Camara, with Hern still managing to hold onto third. In the points series Kirk took the title, Hern second, and following a season on consistent results, Jenai Robinson was third.

Youngster Ziani Burgesson continued to show that he is a rider to watch in the future after a strong performance that took him to another win and secured him the series title.

In third place after the first lap behind Chris DeSilva and Dominic White, Burgesson quickly took the lead eventually opening up a two-minute gap over his rival. White finished second with DeSilva third. In the overall points series Chase Toogood and Wendell Burrows rounded out the top three.

In the women’s B race 15-year-old rider Alysa Rowse produced another impressive performance, riding uncontested yet again to secure the win.

Despite a hard crash on a steep descent, where she struck a palm tree, Ashley Robinson remounted and continued to her now familiar runner-up spot with Tristan Narraway third on the day, with the three women holding onto the same positions in the series.

Elizabeth Stewart completed a strong season with another win, with Andrea Proctor 27 seconds back to secure second and Kim Raymond third, and holding on to those positions in the series.

Lea Balestriera was the sole rider in the girls 13-15. Zoe Hasselkus beat Megan Hands, who has won the previous seven races, with Jasmin Hasselkus third. Hands topped the series.

Nick Pilgrim, Blake Oliviera and Kion Richardson were the top three finishers in the boys’ 13-15 race with Pilgrim lifting the series title ahead of Alex Miller, in an unfamiliar fifth, holding onto second followed by Richardson.

In the 12 and under boys, Enshe-nico Davis, Rowdy Crockwell-Laurer and Tommy Marshall were the first three finishers and in the final points tally Ahzai Smith, Davis and Gordon Smith were on top of the leaderboard.