Last weekend, Canyon MTB Racing's Emily Batty and Laurie Arsenault tackled the highly technical course at Val di Sole in Italy. It was a tough race for the women, but both are feeling positive and looking ahead to the World Cup racing in Switzerland this coming weekend.
In the short track race, Laurie finished with an impressive 19th after starting in 38th position. Sina Frei took the win in the race.
"It was such an amazing first experience at the World Champ Short Track," Laurie said. "I never tasted adrenaline (and blood) as much as I did during that race, and I want to do it again and again."
In the XCO race on Saturday, Great Britain's Evie Richards took the win. Laurie finished 43rd after starting in 61st position—she's done very well moving up in these tough fields throughout the season despite starting several rows back. Emily finished in 49th.
"I see many XCO racers expressing disappointment in themselves lately, particularly in the women's field, including myself," Emily later said. "I've never raced with tears in my eyes, so this weekend was a first. But if I could write a message to my younger self and the other women out there, it would go something like this: Despite your efforts and time, and energy invested into achieving your best performance possible, there can only be one winner. Whether your 70th or 1st place, you should know that your result does not define who you are or necessarily how hard you have or haven't worked. Your effort defines your character, and that's the beauty of sport. We learn, grow, achieve, love, fall, get back up, and do it all over again. Look adversity in the face and find the small wins. Focus on the process and grow through the highs and lows."
One major highlight from the weekend was the One World bikes from Canyon. The One World paint scheme on the bikes was designed to spread awareness about the work done by World Bicycle Relief, an organization committed to helping more people across the planet gain access to bicycles, and the countless opportunities they present. (You can donate to World Bicycle Relief here. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/support-world-bicycle-relief-and-win-a-spectral-29)
Now, it's eyes ahead to the final World Cup rounds of the season, as well as National Championships in Quebec.
See the new Canyon Trail Lux Trail brought to you by the Canyon MTB Racing Team featuring an Emily Batty Signature Edition
