Race organisers were forced to apologise after a mountain bike race at Coney Island produced a record numbers of riders failing to finish because of mechanical problems on Sunday morning.

Nearly 100 riders lined up for the third race in the Fat Tire Massive Mountain Bike Series presented by One Communications, but gusty winds, looming rain and problems with course design combined to produce a record 15 broken bikes, with 12 suffering flat tyres.

Race director Chris Smith extended his apologies on behalf of the course-development team for the high rate of attrition.

“Careful review showed that the heavy rains late in the evening exposed sharp rock edges at a dip which almost guaranteed a flat,” he said.

“We reviewed the section immediately and took corrective steps to ensure this issue won’t repeat. Huge credit to all the riders who pushed through, it was a day that required grit.”

Despite the low numbers of finishers, those who did complete the course produced some fine performances and it was no surprise that national champion Robin Horsfield came out on top in the one-hour open male division.

Horsfield was one of just two riders to complete 12 laps of the course alongside Jackson Langley, with the more experienced Horsfield finishing in 1hr 0min 17sec and the younger Langley recording a time of 1:04:02. Brian Steinhoff led home a host of riders who completed 11 laps to claim third place.

There were just two finishers in the one-hour open female category with Ashley Robinson riding seven laps in 1:07:40 and Wendy-Ann Thomas having to withdraw with mechanical issues after one lap.

In the 30-minute open races, William Coatesworth edged out Charles Dunstan when completing four laps in 29:46, while Zina Jones was named champion in the female contest.

Arlene MacGuinness was the only rider in the adult novice female race to complete five laps, which she did in 35:11. Katrina Carr and Catherine Power finished four laps and took second and third place respectively.

Isaac Wookey prevailed in a highly competitive 13-16 male race after finishing five laps in 32:09. That was 31 seconds quicker than runner-up Abram Da Ponte, with Hannes Swart third. Paige Noseworthy was successful in the 13-16 female event.

The 9-12 age group for attracted more than 20 competitors, with Austen Carr taking bragging rights after being the only rider to complete five laps. Feargal Murphy and Nassim Ali did best of those managing four laps to claim the other podium places.

Holly Cook beat Esme Jansma, Penelope Stokes and Roisin Murphy in the 9-12 female race.

The series now takes a break over Christmas and the new year, with race four taking place at Admiralty House on January 11 and the popular four-hour endurance race scheduled for January 16.