Cycling Weekly — February 08, 2018

(Jacob Rumans) #1

Photo: Andy Jones


We e k l y c olu m n


“I’d applauded this result with


the kind of patronising affection


only a younger sibling can


provide. I made it about me”


Katie Archibald


Olympic and world champion, Katie Archibald got into cycling after
winning handicap races on a Highland Games grass track

y brother is now the British national points race
champion. I hadn’t been keeping track of his
brilliance myself but I read somewhere (‘somewhere’
means I read it on Instagram but I’m too embarrassed to cite
it as a news source, like when I tell a story about ‘someone I
know’ when really it’s another lame story about my boyfriend
that I’m trying to disguise) that it’s his best national result since
a fourth as an 11-year-old swimmer.
The day before becoming the British national points race
champion he’d won a bronze medal in the individual pursuit,
behind Team KGF’s Charlie Tanfi eld and Dan Bigham. I’d
applauded this result with the kind of patronising affection
only a younger sibling can provide: I made it about me. My
own fi rst senior British medal, in 2013, was a bronze in the
individual pursuit and I was touched by this mirroring. He’s my
older brother, called John, by the way, though he prefers to go
by ‘Katie Archibald’s brother’, but I’d indulged myself with a
narrative where our breakthroughs would both come from the
same medal.
Things I hadn’t taken into consideration: fi rstly, KA’sB (or,
‘John’) was already multiple Scottish national champion on
both track and road, had already claimed Scottish national
records from Graeme Obree, and qualifi ed for the 2018
Commonwealth Games. He’d had more breakthroughs than
calls to see if he might have been mis-sold PPI.
Secondly, and in hindsight most importantly, John was
mentally unhinged enough to ride another pursuit the day after
his bronze-winning ride, but this time in the middle of a points
race. Then win a few sprints for good measure.
And so I witnessed John achieve something that I thought
would take him three more years and Laura Kenny getting
pregnant to achieve — that’s what it took me.
My own Nationals also went well. If you’ve followed the
‘why are you entering the sprint?’ saga in this column I return
with brilliant news of a bronze medal and one of the most
enjoyable day’s racing I’ve had in years. John has a lot of work
to do before he can match that.

News


Future V718 TTs could be in doubt


if Traffic Restriction Order passes


Paul Knott

ighways England
is coming under
heavy pressure from
cycling governing bodies and
charities in response to the
proposed Traffi c Restriction
Order (TRO) to ban cyclists
from a stretch of the A63 near
Hull, which would include the
entire ultra-fast V718 10-mile
time trial course.
“Highways England’s
approach to the A63 is entirely
unreasonable and lacks
both evidence and analysis,”
said Cycling UK’s head of
campaigns, Duncan Dollimore.
“It’s hardly surprising
cyclists can’t keep up with
motor vehicles on an A-road,
but it is ludicrous to use that
as one of the reasons for
banning them.”
The V718 course has been
the setting for multiple CTT
competition records over
recent years and a Mecca for
time triallists looking to beat
personal bests. CTT has also
slammed the potential ban.
Despite these protests,
Highways England’s
emergency planning
manager, Andrew Charnick,
supported the proposal, with

safety at the forefront of
the announcement. “The
safety of everyone who
uses our roads is our highest
priority,” he said. “The A63 is a
busy road and a large number
of HGVs leave the docks and
use the route to join the M62.
There are alternative, safer
routes available for cyclists.”
Highways England has the
support of local Humberside
police and the local authority
on the issue, who both
fully support the plan — in
part due to the six cycling
accidents on the stretch of
road, including one fatality,
in the last fi ve years. This
is in comparison to the 297
accidents involving motor
vehicles which have occurred
over the same period.
Objections to the TRO
can be sent to The Offi ce
of the Director, Operations
Directorate (Yorkshire & North
East), Highways England,
3rd Floor South, Lateral,
8 City Walk, Leeds, LS
9AT. Under the reference ‘The
A63 Trunk Road (North Cave
Interchange to Daltry Street
Interchange) (Prohibition of
Cyclists Order)’ and must be
received no later than Monday
February 19 2018.

Pressure mounts


on A63 cyclist ban


12 | February 8, 2018 | Cycling Weekly
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