Rider Profile

Name: Katie Archibald                 

Primary Club: City of Edinburgh Racing Club

Biograph

I left school last year (2012) and started working 4 days a week in an internet sales office. I spend the rest of my time: training, racing and day dreaming about being paid to ride a bike rather than sell beds. I still feel like a relative newbie to the cycling world, only taking it up competitively in 2011 on the grass track and in 2012 on hard track. My background is in swimming and dealing with a competitive family.

Career Highlights to date

Making a tidy sum of prize money racing the Highland Games in the summer of 2011

Taking laps on other riders on 400m tracks in Dudley and Reading points races (although I never actually got on the national omnium podium all season)

Gold in the 2012 British Junior Women’s 2km Pursuit in a time of 2:30.6

Silver in the 2012 British Junior Women’s Points Race – my favourite highlight because of all the people who came up to me the days following to say they’d loved the race

Who inspires you and why

Loads of different people that I see in races across the country and on the TV; usually the guy in a race that makes a break-away and I always think “I’m gonna try that”. And, of course, Marianne Vos just because of how amazing she is. I think everyone thinks about Marianne and wishes they could do what she does, it’s unbelievable.

How do you celebrate/relax after a big event

With cake. Preferably cheesecake and on my own so no one else eats my cheesecake!