VAL DI SOLE, Italy — Canadian Olympian Emily Batty placed third at UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on Saturday.
The Team Trek Factory Racing rider from Brooklin, Ont., who represented Canada in London last summer, rode the course in one hour 37 minutes 27 seconds, and finished less than one minute behind Tanja Zakelj’s winning time (1:36:37). Katerina Nash was second.
“Emily’s ride was very strong and well-paced,” said Canadian coach Dan Proulx in a statement. “She has shown consistency at the front of the field this World Cup season. Emily’s third place today was a great way to end the first block of World Cups this season.”
Two-time world champion Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., was sixth.
Mikaela Kofman of Toronto — riding with Canadian-based SCOTT-3RoxRacing — finished in 26th position.
She improved by nine places her rank from the last World Cup.
Update:
Steve Smith claimed a silver medal on Sunday in the men’s downhill elite category at the Mountain Bike World Cup.
Smith, of Cassidy, B.C., reached the podium for the second consecutive week after posting a time of three minutes 13.186 seconds.
Gee Atherton won gold in 3:12.185, while Greg Minnaar took third (3:13.435).
Smith, who rides for Canadian-based DeVinci Global Racing, took third at the World Cup last week in Great Britain.
Casey Brown was the top Canadian in the women’s elite race, taking the sixth position.