Bicyclebuilt

KATIE and John Archibald used to put sibling rivalry aside to join forces against their ultra-competitive dad.

Now they’ll be side by side again in the Gold Coast today chasing podium places rather than waging war – and no one will be prouder than father Ian.

Olympic, World and European champ Katie is joined for the first time on the big stage by her big brother, who’s had to make do with living in the Team GB icon’s shadow while working full-time in the family furniture business and flirting with the fringes of cycling.

But Ian, who has playfully played them off against each BY GORDON WADDELL From the Gold Coast other for years, was the one who put the Milngavie pair on the fast-track to sporting success in the first place.

And his 24-year-old daughter feels privileged to be Down Under with her brother by her side after he finally joined her in the elite ranks.

She said: “My dad winds me up all the time, telling me: ‘John trains much harder AND he’s working full-time…’

“I’m guilty of coming home, staying with my dad in Paisley for the weekend and when I do that I’m coming home for a break – I’m not going to be doing hard training. Inevitably, he turns round and says: ‘Wow, you don’t train hard at all, do you? You should see what John’s doing!

“To be fair, what John has done since he stopped working has been impressive. It’s maybe a question of, ‘What if ?’

“What if he’d canned the swimming sooner and found that he was competitive at cycling? If he’d just started racing when we said he should have started, who knows?

“He spent so much of his life just hacking around on a bike, picking up segments, so it’s only a few years back that he started road racing – and months back when he started track racing. It has been exciting to watch.”

The competitive instinct is in their genes and was dragged out of them at an early age.

Katie said: “You know how parents are meant to let their kids win? My dad’s not like that.

“So me and my brother were a joint force against him, rather than against each other. My enemy’s enemy is my friend, sort of thing.

“I remember my dad putting a heart rate strap on us when we were little, getting excited and saying, ‘Look, they’re in the two hundreds …’

“So it has always been very competitive – but my dad has been like the bad guy, so me and my brother have always gotten on well.’

While expectations for John are hard to gauge given his rookie status – although he did have a spectacular British Championships – they’re through the roof for Katie.

The charismatic track star carries the burden with ease – but she’d have to, considering her work schedule over the coming 10 days.

Asked if there was anything she wasn’t doing at the Games, she grinned and said: “No Taekwondo – this time!

“I’m riding the individual