John Archibald (HUUB WattShop) finally claimed victory at the Drummond Trophy (Saturday, 20 September), powering clear on the final lap to win solo after a decade of trying.
John Archibald (HUUB WattShop) finally claimed victory at the Drummond Trophy, powering clear on the final lap to win solo after a decade of trying. Having first raced the Drumclog circuit in 2015 and twice finished on the podium since, the Scot at last conquered one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious races. His victory came on a fitting stage: the final road race of the Scottish national season and the closing round of the Alba Road Series.
Featured image: Ian Henderson. Archibald in action in the 2024 edition of the Drummond Trophy
Report
Open race
The race opened at a furious pace. “The first hour of the race was quite aggressive with attacks,” Archibald explained afterwards. From those early moves, a select group of five went clear: Archibald, Ben Etherington (360 Cycling), Matti Dobbins and Finn McHenry (both Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT), and Toby Tanfield (Leadout Performance). With all five committed, the gap quickly stretched — first to a minute, then two, eventually touching three as the peloton faltered.
Archibald was alert to the danger of numbers. “There were two teammates from the Edinburgh squad, so I was conscious of creating the gap to get away from them both, without someone being afforded the opportunity to sit on.” He waited, measuring his effort, before striking decisively on the final lap.
“The opportunity arose in the tailwind section,” he recalled. “And once I got the gap, it just continued to extend.” From there, the HUUB WattShop rider’s time-trialling pedigree told. The others could only watch as his lead grew all the way to the line.
It was, unusually, a Drummond spared its customary battering. “Normally the race experiences horrendous weather, but today was mild in comparison,” Archibald noted. “Fortunately there was still enough wind to make a difference, but not enough rain to ruin the race.”
Archibald crossed the line alone to finally take the win he had been chasing for ten years. Etherington, still an U23, impressed with second. Dobbins finish third — a result that not only secured his place on the podium but also clinched the overall Alba Road Series title, the Drumclog finale ensuring there would be no further opportunity for his rivals to overhaul him. Tanfield finished fourth and McHenry fifth, giving Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT two riders in the top five.
Women’s race
The women’s Drummond Trophy went to Arianne Holland (Handsling Alba Development RT), who proved the strongest on the Drumclog circuit ahead of Daisy Taylor (Royal Albert CC) and series leader Lulu Bartlett (Team Boompods).
Bartlett’s third place was more than enough to secure the Scotia Road Series crown. Leading the standings by a single point heading into Drumclog, and with her closest rivals Isla Easto and Rebecca Saunderson, absent, Bartlett’s podium sealed the overall win in emphatic fashion.
John Archibald (HUUB WattShop) finally claimed victory at the Drummond Trophy, powering clear on the final lap to win solo after a decade of trying. Having first raced the Drumclog circuit in 2015 and twice finished on the podium since, the Scot at last conquered one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious races. His victory came on a fitting stage: the final road race of the Scottish national season and the closing round of the Alba Road Series.
Featured image: Ian Henderson. Archibald in action in the 2024 edition of the Drummond Trophy
Report
Open race
The race opened at a furious pace. “The first hour of the race was quite aggressive with attacks,” Archibald explained afterwards. From those early moves, a select group of five went clear: Archibald, Ben Etherington (360 Cycling), Matti Dobbins and Finn McHenry (both Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT), and Toby Tanfield (Leadout Performance). With all five committed, the gap quickly stretched — first to a minute, then two, eventually touching three as the peloton faltered.
Archibald was alert to the danger of numbers. “There were two teammates from the Edinburgh squad, so I was conscious of creating the gap to get away from them both, without someone being afforded the opportunity to sit on.” He waited, measuring his effort, before striking decisively on the final lap.
“The opportunity arose in the tailwind section,” he recalled. “And once I got the gap, it just continued to extend.” From there, the HUUB WattShop rider’s time-trialling pedigree told. The others could only watch as his lead grew all the way to the line.
It was, unusually, a Drummond spared its customary battering. “Normally the race experiences horrendous weather, but today was mild in comparison,” Archibald noted. “Fortunately there was still enough wind to make a difference, but not enough rain to ruin the race.”
Archibald crossed the line alone to finally take the win he had been chasing for ten years. Etherington, still an U23, impressed with second. Dobbins finish third — a result that not only secured his place on the podium but also clinched the overall Alba Road Series title, the Drumclog finale ensuring there would be no further opportunity for his rivals to overhaul him. Tanfield finished fourth and McHenry fifth, giving Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT two riders in the top five.
Women’s race
The women’s Drummond Trophy went to Arianne Holland (Handsling Alba Development RT), who proved the strongest on the Drumclog circuit ahead of Daisy Taylor (Royal Albert CC) and series leader Lulu Bartlett (Team Boompods).
Bartlett’s third place was more than enough to secure the Scotia Road Series crown. Leading the standings by a single point heading into Drumclog, and with her closest rivals Isla Easto and Rebecca Saunderson, absent, Bartlett’s podium sealed the overall win in emphatic fashion.
Results
Open race
Women’s race
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