Canadian Cross-Country Mountain Bike Star Emily Batty Is Riding a Canyon for 2021
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After 12 years with Trek, Canadian cross-country mountain bike star Emily Batty signs with a new sponsor: Canyon Bicycles.
Batty is a four-time national champion, and she has represented Canada at two Olympic Games.
When Canadian cross-country mountain bike star Emily Batty announced on social media that she’d have a new bike sponsor for 2021, it set off a flurry of speculations as to which big name brand would sign her on next.
A day later, on January 20, Batty revealed her new sponsor: Canyon Bicycles.
The news isn’t exactly surprising, because athletes change sponsors with some regularity in the pro cycling industry. But it’s still notable, given that Batty, 32, was previously on the Trek Factory Racing Mountain Bike team and had ridden for Trek for 12 years—a career’s lifetime for some professional athletes. She’s also a Red Bull athlete.
Some of Batty’s major wins include a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games, a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2016 and 2018, and a bronze medal in the World Cup series in 2016 and 2018. She’s also a four-time national champion, winning every year from 2016 to 2019. Though her performances last year didn’t quite meet her expectations, Batty says she’s looking forward to the 2021 season.
“Last season, everything was so unknown, and I didn’t want to waste valuable mental and physical capacity in 2020 without knowing races were for sure happening,” Batty said in Canyon’s blog post. “So, while my performances could have been way better, I feel like I’m going into 2021 more hungry, rested, and motivated than most of my competitors. And now, I have some huge goals I’m very excited about: I have Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup goals. I want to go big on the performance side of things this year.”
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Batty has represented Canada in two Olympics, the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio Games. In London, Batty broke her collarbone during a training ride, but competed three days later and finished in 24th place in the cross-country event. She came close to the podium in Rio, placing just two seconds behind in fourth place.
“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,” Batty said in the blog post. “The very first time I visited Canyon headquarters, [company founder] Roman Arnold had me over for lunch with his family at his home. I already feel so welcomed, aligned with their values, and connected to the brand. Everyone is in my corner, and they are forward-thinking and innovative. When you see it in person, meet the people, and experience their company culture, you quickly realize they are as good as it gets.”
Canyon Bicycles, a German direct-to-consumer company, was founded in 1985 and transitioned from a bike parts distributor to a bike company in the late 90s. The company entered the U.S. market in 2017, and offers a wide range of bicycles, from road and city bikes, to gravel and mountain bikes.
“My new Canyon bikes are amazing. The Exceed and the Lux are both so well-balanced from front to back, and I can push them without losing the front wheel. Canyon is already looking for my feedback, and I feel like I finally have a voice and stake in how the product is developed,” Batty said.
“Emily is a fantastic addition to the Canyon family—both for her ability on the bike as well as what she brings in terms of her personality,” said Canyon CEO Armin Landgraf in the blog post. “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.”
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