Recap: Emily Batty hunts for world championship podium in Lenzerheide
Canadian joins Kate Courtney in the medals as American claims her first title in Switzerland
Emily Batty led a strong Canadian cross country team, bringing home a Bronze medal from 2018 UCI mountain bike world championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
The podium performance was a great conclusion to the Canadian racers fantastic 2018 season. Batty showed incredible consistency of form, earning a podium position at five straight World Cup races. She also defended her Canadian cross country national title in Canmore, Alberta.
RELATED: Emily Batty battles for Bronze at world championships
Batty was joined in the top 10 by Haley Smith, who earned her best ever world championship result in sixth. Canada was the only country with two athletes in the top 10 in the Women’s race. Further showing the depth of Canada’s women’s cross country program, the pair were nearly joined by a resurgent Catharine Pendrel. The Canadian Olympian was riding with Smith in ninth before a flat tire on the penultimate lap pushed her to 14th. It’s still an impressive result, given that Pendrel missed the whole middle part of the season with a broken arm. Check full Canadian results here.
Batty battled with American Kate Courtney, who went on to win the Lenzerheide World Championship race. Courtney’s win comes in her first year as an Elite racer, after winning the 2017 U23 XCO race in Cairns, Australia. It is also the U.S.A.’s first Women’s Elite XCO title in 17 years.
Courtney separated herself from Batty to catch Danish rider Annika Langvad. Langvad’s second place in Lenzerheide matches her second place in the World Cup overall, which she narrowly lost to Jolanda Neff. Neff’s season long battle with the Danish rider took it’s toll though, and the Swiss rider couldn’t produce one more result in 2018 for the home crowd. After chasing hard all race, Neff finished fourth in Lenzerheide.
Jolanda Neff waves for the home crowd before the Women's Elite XCO race. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Kate Courtney focuses on the task ahead. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Jolanda Neff had her characteristic explosive start but this time it wouldn't last. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Emily Batty sends the steep rock roll A-Line in Lenzerheide. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Kate Courtney tucks for speed. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Jolanda Neff struggled with the pace early, but a huge and very loud crowd helped the World Cup winner fight back to fourth. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Emily Batty rode with Courtney early on, then rode home alone for Bronze. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Annika Langvad (2nd) Kate Courtney (1st), Emily Batty (3rd) celebrate with champainge. Image: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
