"I completely blew my doors" - Double Olympic champion Katie Archibald rules Britain once again
Track Cycling
Six years after her last national track title, Katie
Archibald returned to the top step of the podium over the weekend, becoming British
national champion once again. The 30-year-old double Olympic champion dominated
the women’s points race, securing victory with 47 points in the 80-lap event.
Archibald was joined on the podium by Dannielle Watkinson,
who launched a last-ditch solo attack with two laps to go, crossing the line
first to move from zero to 10 points, earning the silver medal. Young superstar
Cat Ferguson rounded out the podium, claiming bronze after consistently
collecting points throughout the race.
Reflecting on her victory, Archibald spoke from the podium
about the significance of her return to national competition.
"I’m very happy about a plan well executed. The fact
I’ve been away for so long has made me very motivated for the nationals. I’m
the person that people want to beat, but it’s still nice to be surrounded by
that mentality and take a buoy from being a part of that."
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Archibald shared her race
strategy and how she aimed to position herself early on.
"I wanted to score early because I thought the points
spread might be clustered across a few riders," she explained. "I
thought, ‘If I attack in the final 30 (laps), then at least if I’m up the road,
someone can join me, which is better than them being up the road and me having
to join them. Then I completely blew my doors."
She also reflected on a memory from 2018, when her brother John
Archibald won the men’s national points race in a similarly demanding solo
effort.
"My brother won the national points race in 2018, and
similarly was up the road by himself. When someone you love is in agony, you
don’t enjoy watching it. I thought, ‘The boy needs his bed.’ That felt very
similar."
After battling injuries and setbacks in recent years,
Archibald sees this victory as a re-grounding moment in her career. Remember, Archibald
was ruled out of last year’s Olympic Games in Paris after a freak accident in
her garden. She is now back, and ready to get back to her very best.
"It’s a re-grounding, a rebuild from what, at some
point in your career, has been the grassroots of it," she said. "When
I’m not racing, it’s been hard to motivate myself, but that feels like a very
distant feeling right now, because the weekend’s gone so well."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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