Emily Batty previews 2019 Canadian XCO national championship course
Brooklin rider returns to venue where she won Pan American gold in 2015
Emily Batty can’t wait for Canadian cross country national championships to return to Ontario this July.
There’s plenty of riders and fans who are looking forward to XCO national’s return to Hardwood Ski & Bike, but for Batty the venue is extra special. It’s the same track where the Trek Factory Racing rider won her 2015 Pan American Games gold medal.
Batty’s history with the track goes back further than Toronto’s Pan Am Games, though. In her preview lap around the course the Brooklin, Ont. takes a detour down memory lane. Some course features date back to her Pan Am win while others, like The Boneshaker, are where she first learned the technical riding chops that have carried her to the highest levels of international mountain bike.
It’s a fantastic insight into the track for 2019 XCO national championships from a rider with a long history on the course. There’s tips for fans looking forward to watching the action and cues for riders planning on racing the event July 20-21, 2019.
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When she toes the start line in Oro Mendonte in July, Batty will be looking for her fifth Elite XCO national title. With back to back wins in Canmore, Alta. in 2017 and 2018, and Baie-St.-Paul in 2016, if the two-time Olympian can pull off the win it will be her fourth consecutive national title.
Watch Emily Batty’s course preview of the Hardwood Ski & Bike course for 2019 Canadian XCO national championships below. Then make your plans to go watch the action live in person. Racing spans two days, from July 20 to 21, 2019.
More information on the venue and event can be found at Pulse Racing’s website.
Emily Batty isn’t the only local rider excited to have Canadian XCO national championships returning to Hardwood Ski & Bike this weekend. Watch Pulse Racing’s preview of the event to find out more about the riding area and Hardwood Nextwave’s impressively successful junior program.
Batty, Soren Meeuwisse, Quinton Disera and Gunnar Holmgren all talk about their history with Hardwood, and what the venue means to them:
