Emily Batty second overall at Mediterranean Epic
Haley Smith adds stage podiums in Spain at XC stage race
Emily Batty rode strong and consistently for four days to take second overall in the Mediterranean Epic four day-stage race.
Fellow Canadian Haley Smith added podium finishes on the later stages, after mechanical difficulties set her back on stage 1 of the Spanish event.
Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) started with two silver medals at the Mediterranean Epic, and was sitting second overall going into the second half of the race. Haley Smith (Norco Factory Racing), on the other hand, had to fight back from three flat tires on the opening day of racing. Smith recovered to finish fourth on the second stage but was still well off the GC leaders in the overall.
Smith snags silver on Stage 3
Australia’s Rebecca Mcconnell (Primaflor-Mondraker-X-Sauce) won the third day of racing with a time of 3:33:39. It was Smith who finished second behind Mcconnell, disrupting Batty’s string of silvers. Batty crossed third. Both Canadians finished in a tight group with German racer Elisabeth Brandau. The trio were exactly two minuted behind the Australian stage winner.
Edmonton’s Sidney McGill (Pedalhead Race Room) was 20th.
On the men’s side, Simon Vitzthum (JB Brunex Felt Factory Team) won a sprint finish out of a sizeable group of the race leaders. Pivot Cycles-OTE’s Marc-Andre Fortier was 19th on the stage.
Batty locks down second Stage 4 and GC
On the final day of racing in Spain, Emily Batty reclaimed her silver medal position on the stage. The Canadian never finished off the podium in the four days of racing. This landed the Canadian second overall in the 2020 Mediterranean Epic stage race.
It was Ramona Forchini (JB Brunex Felt Factory Team), though, that won the final stage of racing and the GC overall.
Haley Smith finished fourth again on the final day of racing. Her strong rides on the latter three days brought her back inside the top-20 on the GC standings. Smith ended the Mediterranean Epic in 13th.
Sidney McGill was 20th on the fourth stage, putting her just inside the top-20 overall to finish 19th on GC.
On the men’s side, Ivan Diaz Buj (Cultbikes-Specialized) won out of a sprint finish with Milan Vader (KMC Orbea) and David Valero Serrano (MMR Factory Racing). While he did not take the stage victory, Valero Serrano’s podium finish was enough for him to clinch the GC race victory.
Marc-Andre Fortier was 18th on the final stage. The Quebec rider’s consistency was rewarded with a 17th place in the GC standings.
