Emily Batty and Trek Part Ways After 12 Years

 Make sense.

 www.bicycling.com/news/amp27700658/keto-diet-affects-speed-performance-riding

 To be fair, I feel like shit on Keto, but some people feel amazing. Everyone is different.

 Gotta take the Keytones to get the super boost.

www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/primoz-roglic-confirms-jumbo-vismas-use-of-ketones-for-the-real-effects-its-hard-to-say

 There’s an ultra endurance runner who eats mostly keto and only carbs for running

I think everyone is different and you just need to find what works for you

 @toad321: if you eat carbs for running that's not keto then. That's the point of keto for endurance the lack of carbs.

 Makes sense as want to be as light as possible (no carbs when not exercising so wont build fat) and also wont go into red with sprints as an endurance runner so wont have negative effects of keto diet @toad321:

 Was she fully keto or doing the carb loading before high intensity variation? I did keto for 6-9 months and there were some big positives for me. However, I felt like any effort above a 7/10 would fizzle out shortly. I am just low refined carbs now and feel like I have an extra gear again for some higher energy efforts.

 @JayUpNorth: Is beer a low refined carb? Asking for a friend...

 @krka73: Sadly yes. I still have a couple every few weeks though. I was drinking the Sleeman's 2.0 or molson 67 while on keto, but I probably only have 4-8 drinks a month so I just get what I want now. Low carb beer is pretty disappointing. Most keto people do the hard alcohols thing.

 @ybsurf: wrong. Point of keto on endurance athletes is to become adapted to burning fat as fuel. Carbing up before event is perfectly fine - you benefit from instant glucose from carbs and keto adaptation when you run out of them. Keto doesn’t mean no carbs, but the acceptable carb threshold is dependent on many factors (genetics, whether we have training/no training/actual event day)

 It could be a variety of things. Diet, training, strength training, preparation, mental, physical, equipment, etc. The reasons are numerous that is why only a handful of people are racing at the world class level.

 She was getting thinner and thinner from 2018 to 2019. I was thinking that she did something on purpose to loose a lot of fat. Change in diet is obvious it was the difference from past years. Maybe at the beginning the diet was good but not so good in long term.

 @fullendurbro: basically no science supports a keto diet

 @Noah353: yeah I've listened to the trainer road podcasts that at least try to be science based and they seem to be really against keto if you're trying to be a fast rider

 I see cannondale

 @ybsurf: Exactly, an Ultra runner is running all the time therefore eating carbs all the time lollol

 @gcrider: Do you think the calories from fat can't make you fat?

 She has looked a little to lean, for a couple years now...eat yer food girl.

 @grizwald: Batty is not nearly as lean as most of the XC women riders. She is shorter and a lot of muscle. I believe shorter riders have to have more muscle because they don't generate as much leverage with shorter legs, but that is another story. Compare to Neff, Belomoina, and even Courtney.

 @Bedeye: glad someone else pointed this out

 The low carb meals Batty prepared in no way put her into ketosis as the macros weren't right for keto. To say she was doing keto is misinformed (perhaps even she may have been). What she was doing (or attempting) was a cyclic, low carb diet in the off-season, just like top WorldTour riders have done. For race season she fueled traditionally. Agenda-driven individuals ran with a sensationalized keto headlines for clickbait.

Everyone wants to speculate and find a scapegoat, but there a probably multitude of reasons why things happened.... From olympic monies being reduced, to untraditional winter prep (hanging out in the SW desert while your competitors are doing early spring races in europe), to the elephant of separating husband from coach.

 So your saying I should give up my deep fried mutton bird habbit. @Bedeye:

 @gcrider: I had to google that.

 on keto? no. you need glucose to build fat cells. low blood sugar = not enough glucose to support building fat cells. "eating fat will make you fat" is the biggest lie of modern nutrition.

 @krka73: Yes, in limited quantities, it is a low refined carb. BUT, in greater quantities YOU become UNrefined! :-)

 @toad321: While my active race years I did a Keto combination, the only carb that I had was Sweet Potatoes, I actually stayed away from sugar as well. The body adjusts, it takes a couple of very grueling months for it to adjust but once you crossed that line and your body is dialed in, it's insane..sometimes I would have like a piece of chocolate and get the total sugar rush.. that's when you know you are there. I could do 50 milers just on a sweet potato.... while I miss those times, I won't go back there.. I rather stick with Cheese Burger and Beer after a good group ride

 This has nothing to do with her dietary choices however controversial. My two cents Batty to Canyon as PVP will go to Absolute Absalon. Everyone needs to go somewhere eventually. I think this is a good thing for Emily. So many riders at the elite level keep doing the same thing and then end up confused when they don't end up with the same result as the previous years. Change is good. It is cleansing and invigorating. I wish her nothing but the very best. (braces for all the downvotes)

 @fullendurbro: Keto works best if you're already overweight. It's not a good diet for someone who is training and is already somewhat fit.

 Never tried Keto - other than ensuring i eat enough BBQ to go with my beers -- but in reading all these comments is sounds like we don't have much 'scientific truth' in terms of predicting how anyone will respond to it - which is sort of like saying 'we have no idea how it actually works, or when, or with who'. There seems to be a there - there -- but no one can really put their finger on a repeatable methodology -- lots of opinions and personal stories, but they don't seem so translatable.

 @jbculligan:that's because eating keto can include healthy foods like lots of fish and low carb density veggies or it can be bacon and a ton of garbage foods. I ate pretty healthy with lots of salads. Dinners were usually a meat with a big veggie side. My blood pressure went way down and so did my blood sugar levels which had been meh. For me, I felt quite healthy and I dropped 60-70lbs. Lots of energy for most things and more consistent energy in life, just didn't have power for bursts. I gave it up because I was getting a regular pain in my right side. It seemed like I was eating too much fat for my gal bladders liking? I usually recommend people to give keto a try if they are carb freaks. It resets your taste buds and a lot of junk foods I used to love are now too sweet. Anything sweeter than a banana tastes kind of gross. Now, I just eat lots of fruits and veggies, meat, and a few small servings of grains. And treats like beer etc are back on the menu. Low carb beer just tastes like despair.

 @toad321: you're right. ultra endurance running and World Cup XC racing are VERY different.

 Yeah, she also loudly celebrated getting Bronze at Worlds that year after Maja flatted in the last half of the last lap, which felt like poor taste. I get that flats happen in MTB racing, but still.

I actually asked Emily about that at Sea Otter 2017 and she was like "well, she got me back at the Olympics" which was a pretty good answer.

 This. Emily's whining that if only she had 100 meters more she would've had the bronze, as if Catharine hadn't passed Emily for the bronze after crashing.

 She hasn’t been preforming, but still has a lot to offer in other way. I’m sure that she’s found a solid new place to land

 Her and her husband were giant PITA to deal with. Neither party had been happy for a bit now. Good riddance.

 @wako29: You on the Trek team?

 @wako29: we want the juice ! Makes me see her quote in a different light
" It’s been a wild ride. So excited for the next chapter in my career."
Translation ?

 @wako29: Her exit statement is less than stellar. Company supported her for 12 years, at least show a little gratitude. How someone treats their ex's says a lot about their personality and profesionalism.

 There have been signs for awhile that this was going to happen. For one, Trek has two marquee riders under contract in Evie Richards and Jolanda Neff. But, there’s also been evidence of discord with Trek. Seems like Emily and her coach/husband are sorta their own operation and she gave hints in an interview awhile back that they ran afoul of either team rules or UCI rules for some reason, which forced them to be apart in, I believe, the 2017 season.

I can’t help but wondering if her coaching situation has hurt her career. Her talent is undeniable—she’s one of the best technical riders in the field, and there have been periods of time (e.g. half the 2018 season) where she looks like strongest rider in the world, but she’s struggled with inconsistency, and disappeared for most of the last two years. The PinkBike article on Trek team Supercaliber setups made it clear that she’s an outlier, running higher tire pressure and suspension than men who weigh much more than her. Seems like maybe her coaching is a bit behind the times? Normally when a rider is this close to a huge win for so long but can’t quite break through, they can mix things up with their coaching, but alas, not likely in her situation.

She’s a great athlete and a nice person, so I wish her the best!

 @nattyd: The husband/wife coaching dynamic is super interesting to me. To each their own (and every relationship is different), but I feel like that would introduce so much stress to the relationship. I definitely wouldn't be interested in managing my wife's program or vice-versa.

 @nattyd: Great insights. Not sure how long hubby has been coaching her, but in general if 3-4 years of near misses, it's time for change. "Insanity is the the doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result..."

Counterpoint though. Look up Tia Clair Toomey (4 time consecutive reigning CrossFit champion) and her husband/coach Shane Orr.

 @smoothmoose: He's been coaching her forever.

 @wako29: I'll echo this as well - they dynamic of working with an athlete but then also with their spouse/coach put a lot of strain on everyone

 @smoothmoose: Yeah, it’s been since she was a teenager, I believe. There are lots of coach/athlete relationships out there, and if it works, it works. But she’s been a top-5 to top-10 rider for a decade and can’t quite make it happen in the big races. Maybe she’s just maxed out at a very high level in a very competitive field, but when she has a history of unconventional choices (e.g. the bike setups, being the last rider on 27.5, or running a hardtail at MSA), I wonder if marginal losses have cost her.

 @DGWW: translation is: I am an absolute nut case, got pissy when I couldn't get the UCI to cover my husbands travel expenses to the races. This made my sponsor look bad and they shit canned me.

 @Paddock22: Maja Wojcikowska, Leona Lecomte, Irina Kalentieva, Sina Frei, Yana Belomoina... all smaller riders than Emily who have excelled. Got another theory?

 @nattyd: Small riders can succeed, that's not what I intended to imply.

Different riders have different skill sets and power profiles. I just wondered if at deciding moments in the races where she has come up a little short, if she couldn't match the raw power of the riders that beat her.

 @Paddock22: Yeah, it's hard to say. In most of the races where she was close (especially late 201 , it just came down to tactics or another rider looking a little fresher late in the race. She got 2nd or 3rd in four straight races that year:

Val di Sol: Emily looked like the strongest rider late in the race but the two Kross riders (Maja and Jolanda) played team tactics to create a gap and beat her. Not much she could have done

Vallnord: If I remember right she had a chain drop early in the race that put her at a deficit. Mostly a pure aerobic course anyway with altitude+long climbs

MSA: Don't remember exactly the dynamics, but Jolanda in top form on the most technical course is probably hard to overcome.

La Bresse: she was in the lead very late in the race after Jolanda's second flat, but Jolanda was just unstoppable that day and came back.

 @conoat: Sounds like it drove her Batty.

 @fullendurbro: we have gone canoeing once.
Never again.

 @nattyd: where can I see these details about the shock/tire pressure

 @ipreferdirt: www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-comparing-trek-factory-racings-supercaliber-setups.html

1,5bar seems a bit high for the rear tire but around 1,3bar +/- 0,1bar is usually the go to depending on the track. Everything lower is just taking chances. Even with a tire insert.

 @prevail: Yeah, that's the consensus for everyone else on her team.

 That would give her an unfair advantage!

 Nice! Have never heard CCM on PB before! family's first quiver of "mountain bikes" were CCM back in the day....

 I heard CCM XC / Supercycle DH team in the works

 With a bike named The Anvil they should definitely go the DH route.

 It's a sport where people spin their legs and move their arms back and forth.

 Basketball is just a bunch of dudes doing the fitnessgram pacer test with a ball involved.

 In fairness, fashion pays way better...

 I only follow her for the fashion.

www.instagram.com/p/CDgg_VVn0_Y

 The mug only had world champs on it. If they do another next year, Reece will be on it.

 Results gets you marketing. Emily certainly knows that after 12 years, but she also doesn't seem to be a huge team player. Just look at the interview from end of last year, when she said she didn't even room with Jolanda and the rest of the team, because once her husband got their they "just did our own thing again. Because I would rather be with him and my normal. So we stayed on our own and not with the Trek team." I totally understand wanting to be close to your family (I'm feeding my infant daughter while typing this), but you also can put in a little effort and at least stay with your team, especially when you just got a new teammate.

RE: how is it with Jolanda on the team?: "We just haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get to know each other." Well, yeah, because you didn't stay with the team! She removed opportunities to get to know the team, then lamented not having said opportunities. Not surprising Trek would want to put more effort and money into Jolanda and the rest of the team.

 @just6979: I wonder if having a husband for your coach came off as a budget double dip as well. That is if he was eventually seeing Trek team money through her. There's nothing inherently wrong with hiring someone competent regardless of the relationship, but it could be perceived as a conflict if the money ends up in the same account. Not sure who else he coaches or if she's his one client.

All speculation. I wish her luck and I suspect she'll do reasonably well anywhere she goes. I've really enjoyed watching the level of competition in the women's XC these last few years. Very exciting racing from them.

 This will be interesting to see who else they sign. Maxime Morotte is still without a team as far as I know and would fit the World Cup/Olympic type rider the article mentions.

 @Offrhodes: Maxime to Santa Cruz for their new XC bike.

 www.linkedin.com/pulse/creation-new-north-american-uci-world-cup-mountain-bike-cosentino

 @btjenki: what bike is new?

 @mm732: hasn't been announced yet.

 yes

 Yeah, but she doesn't fit the Santa Cruz vibes imo. Too straight edge.

 Or poor manners

 did you see Geoff Kabush's tweet?
"Pro Tip #214: If a long term sponsor relationship ends make sure to thank everyone involved no matter what happened. It's a small industry and people notice. A few words of appreciation, or lack thereof, make a big difference in the long run. #saturdaynightdeepthoughtswithCoachK"

 Or maybe Trek isn't obligated to give riders lifetime contracts.

 @mtb1101: Unless your name is Semenuk!

 @MisterChow: unless you're an alien from another planet

 Sometimes it’s just best for both parties if everyone just moves on.

 Why put energy into anything? Riding a loop in the woods several times a week is also pretty pointless, some people just find it enjoyable.

 So few races in 2020, it's hard to call it a terrible year for anyone. Or maybe it was a terrible year for everyone. Yea, probably that.

 pretty sure the world has had a rough go of 2020

 She avoided the indignation of not making the Canadian Olympic Team.

 probs just like missy giove: learned that as a kid when index finger was too short for the hanlde, takes some time to change that habit

 She had trouble reaching the levers when she was younger and learned to use her middle fingers to compensate. It stuck with her ever since.

 @fpvteg: interesting never thought of that

 @skimons: interesting

 Back in the day when I had grip shift, I would brake with my middle finger too so I wouldn't have to keep moving my fingers around.

 That is the rumour.

 @kclw: I know one shouldn't take any notice of 'Likes' on social media, but it was interesting that a certain Dutchman, who rides a Canyon, liked her post about leaving Trek.....

 Doubtful but it’s a rad bike so why not...

 The YT Izzo is a rad bike, but not close to being light enough for world class XC racing. Izzo is more like a Tallboy. They would have to make a totally different light version of the Izzo.

 @tacklingdummy: i was joking...

 @Staktup: Oops, thought you were was serious. LOL.