IF there is anything that comes out of these Commonwealth Games, it will be the building blocks of experience for Scotland's ascendant cycling star Katie Archibald.
The 20-year-old from Milngavie finished fifth in the women's time trial in Glasgow yesterday, up among some lofty names in the sport including New Zealand's Linda Villumsen, who claimed the gold medal.
England's Emma Pooley, a former world time trial champion and Olympic silver medallist, led at all the intermediate splits but a strong ride by Villumsen in the final sector enabled her to claw back an eight-second deficit to triumph in 42:25.46.
Pooley, who has announced that she will retire after the Games, had to settle for silver, while German-born Katrin Garfoot, competing for Australia, took bronze.
The women covered 29.6km (18 miles) starting and finishing from Glasgow Green with a single loop taking in East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and the city's East End. Archibald certainly looked in good shape, powering round the course with such determination that after only 18 minutes she caught and passed her two-minute man Leah Kirchmann of Canada. The Scot's final time of 43:30.01 was 1:04.55 behind Villumsen.
Reflecting on the race, Archibald admitted she may have misjudged her effort over the course slightly. "I actually felt very good," said the 20-year-old, whose compatriots Lucy Coldwell and Anna Turvey finished eighth and ninth respectively. "I had far too much left at the end, it's a really long finishing straight and I suddenly realised how fast the bike could go.
"I enjoyed the middle section with the lumps and the twists. But I just lost it in those long drags. I was pootling along thinking: 'Try harder, man'. I could see my heart rate drop but wasn't doing anything about it.
"If that finishing straight had been a kilometre further I could have properly emptied myself. I'm really annoyed I've not done that."
With the road race looming on Sunday, Archibald said there will be plenty of "early nights and long lies" to get her in the right frame of mind to potentially add another medal to the bronze she took in the 25km points race on the track.
"I've been suffering a bit with a chesty cough and sinus stuff but it feels better after I race," she said. "Maybe I'm just an extreme hypochondriac. It's not an excuse, I'm riding fine. I've got irritable airways and it's got worse and stopped my breathing.
"My skin is falling off, my face is peeling like mad. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out as soon as I finish so I'll be comatose next week but it will be worth it."
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