"It's just like riding a bike" - the old axiom says.

Nothing could be more true these past few years for Sudbury native Emily Marcolini.

Despite some challenges, the 27 year old member of the Roxo Racing team always seems to find her way back to her bike.

A nasty fall late last summer in Colombia took the multi-sport talent (Marcolini was a track and cross-country star during her time at St Benedict, capturing bronze at the collegiate national X-C championships in 2015 while running for Cambrian College) out of commission for the balance of the season, with a lengthy rehab stint slotted for this past winter.

Last week, Marcolini would finish fifth in the Elite Women Time Trial at the 2023 Canadian Road Championships in Edmonton, less than 25 seconds from mounting the podium after posting a time of 39:55.60.

Marcolini was seven seconds back of Alison Jackson in fourth place as world class triathlete Paula Findlay took top spot in 38:26.1, comfortably ahead of Olivia Baril (39:00.9), a professional mainstay with UAE Team ADQ and recent Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar race winner in Spain.

Marcolini is known for her proficiency as a climber and with time trials, picking up stage wins at Redlands and Gila in 2022.

Next up for the local cyclist is the Vuelta Feminina Colombia, taking place from July 26th to the 30th, with the 2022 races having covered six different stages that run through Sopo, Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Santander and Bucaramanga.