Why Catharine Pendrel is missing 2020 world championships
Big news off the bike - and heading into the Olympics - for Clif Pro Team rider
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Photo: Sean Jenkins
When Cycling Canada announced its 2020 UCI mountain bike world championships team earlier this week, many were surprised not to see Catharine Pendrel’s name on the list. Turns out, the Canadian cross country racer, and 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, has her own, very good reason why she won’t be in Leogang this fall.
Catharine Pendrel shared the exciting news Friday that she is pregnant. The highly decorated mountain biker and her coach and husband Keith Wilson are expecting their first child. The Pendrel team is expected to add its newest member in 20 weeks.
That means the Kamloops, B.C.-based racer won’t be travelling to Europe for world championships in Leogang, Austria this fall.
Focusing forward on 2021 – and Tokyo
This year’s been anything but predictable. Pendrel says her Clif team continues to be supportive of her, and her missing the revised fall racing calendar.
Both Pendrel and the Clif team already have their eyes focused forward on 2021.
The Canadian shared she’s currently aiming to race a full season next year. With the Olympics moved to 2021, that means we can likely look forward to seeing Pendrel in Tokyo working to return to the podium in the women’s XCO race.
