Canadian cross-country veteran Emily Batty has signed with Canyon Bicycles.
After spending 12 years with Trek, the Olympian has hinted in recent weeks that she has new plans this year. And those plans involve the direct-to-consumer brand from Germany.
Batty admits that her 2020 season wasn't her best, but she has ambitious plans for 2021. "I have Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup goals, she said. I want to go big on the performance side of things this year."
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The cross-country racer has twice stood on the third step of the World Championships podium, and she is a multi-time Canadian national champion. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she came in fourth.
In 2020, a season that was dramatically altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Batty never finished within the top 20 in a World Cup XCO race. Her season-best result was 17th place in a World Cup Short Track race.
Although her official race schedule has not been announced, it's safe to assume that Batty will be a regular at the World Cups, aiming for big results at the World Championships and Olympic Games.
"It was time for a change, and I've learned that it takes so much more than just equipment and infrastructure to continue making progress in our sport," she said.
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Batty will be seen riding Canyon's Exceed hardtail and Lux full-suspension cross-country bikes.
“I am convinced that, with all her experience, she won’t only perform when it’s race time – she’ll also provide us with valuable feedback that we can use in the further development of our bikes," said Canyon CEO Armin Landgra.
Last year, Batty also completed an 11-day bikepacking trip across the length of Iceland and documented it in a multi-part video series.
