Cyclist Abderrahim Ezzahiri, from the Fassi Cycling Club, won the first edition of the national mountain bike race, in the senior and under-23 categories, held on Sunday in Moulay Yaâcoub, near Fes.

2nd place in the senior category (38 km) went to Hassan Amehzoun of the Casablanca Union, while 3rd place was taken by Ilyas El Aydi, of the Chefchaouen Union.

Ezzahiri also dominated the under-23 category, ahead of Ilyas El Aydi. 3rd place went to Ahmed Bilal of the "Ajial" Association of Tetouan.

In the junior category, 1st place was taken by Saâd El Hasnoui, of the Chefchaouen Union, ahead of, respectively, Hicham Akkou of Jnane Immas-Khénifra and Ayoub El Mesqui, of the Fassi club.

Regarding the Masters category, also contested on a closed circuit of 38 km, Hamid Ferchakh of the Jeunesse Atlas-Khénifra took the title, while 2nd place went to Abderrahim Ghanem of the Kenitra club.

In the cadet category (15 km), 1st place went to Youssef Saidi, of the Jeunesse Atlas-Khénifra, second to Abdennour Hatim, of the "Ajial" Association of Tetouan, and 3rd to Mohamed Hamdoun, of the Chefchaouen Union.

In the minimes category (15 km), 1st and 2nd places went, respectively, to Oussama Hamdoun of the Chefchaouen Union and Taha Abdelkader Erradi, of the Azrou Union.

This sporting competition, initiated by the Fassi Sports Cycling Club, Moulay Yaâcoub section, on the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Green March, saw the participation of some 60 riders belonging to ten clubs from various regions of Morocco.

On this occasion, the president of the organising club, Abdelali El-Marouni, declared to the MAP that this competition, initiated under the aegis of the Royal Moroccan Cycling Federation, aims to encourage young people to practise this type of sport more and to take advantage of natural circuits.