WHEN Katie Archibald made her debut at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow three years ago she was a self-described bundle of nerves. The 21-year-old from Milngavie returned yesterday as a triple European champion to compete in her home round of elite cycling’s 2015/16 Revolution Series.
Her head-to-head with double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott, who also claimed a trio of victories at the European Track Championships in Switzerland last month, was given star billing and the pair didn’t disappoint as they lit up the Siberian pine boards with blistering racing.
Trott (Matrix Fitness) took the win in the women’s points race with Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) having to settle for third behind Laurie Berthon (France). Archibald and Trott, alongside Berthon, drove a savage pace, launching one attack after another, gaining a lap on the field and looking equally strong in the sprints.
But Archibald admitted she was thwarted by her own choice of tactics. “It wasn’t one of my finest races,” she said. “I just kept making mistakes. I think I had one moment I was happy with in the whole race. It felt like I was constantly being marked from behind.
“My main strength is attacking and trying to get a gap but I just didn’t have it today. You need legs 10 times as big if you are not riding well with the head. I didn’t have either. It is human nature to always expect more of yourself and I know I’m probably being dead annoying by not being happy with third.”
While her frustration was understandable, Archibald has come a long way from the slightly awkward teenager who won the Scottish junior keirin and sprint titles in 2012, having newly made the transition from Highland grass track racing.
Fast forward to the present and Archibald is, in cycling terms, a piece of precision engineering. Alongside Trott, she is a mainstay of the Great Britain women’s team pursuit squad and a strong contender for medal success at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio next summer.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Charline Joiner (Team WNT) was the next highest placed among the Scottish contingent in the points race with fifth. Neah Evans, having looked lively to win two sprints, lost a lap after a crash to ultimately finish second bottom of the field.
Archibald, meanwhile, was back to her usual chipper, upbeat self after the women’s elimination-scratch race, a curious hybrid between the two disciplines. She produced one of the most daring moves of the afternoon, launching a brave solo attack maintained over eight laps.
Trott caught and swept past her on the penultimate lap to take the win, while Archibald finished second. The rest of the field was left trailing in their wake. Berthon was a distant third, while Evans finished fifth and Joiner sixth.
It was a similar picture in the women’s scratch race with Trott again the victor and Archibald second. Rebecca Raybould (Poole Wheelers) took third.
The men’s points race was won by Owain Doull (Team Wiggins). He has just returned from altitude training in Tenerife, it showed as Doull gained three laps on the field to garner a tally of 80 points.
Andy Tennant (Team Pedalsure) finished second with Jacob Ragan (The Nab Racing) third.
Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy made a fleeting return to the track that bears his name as he led out the parade lap for the youngsters competing in the HOY Future Stars events.
l Read Katie Archibald’s latest column in The Sunday Herald next week
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