Cuminestown cyclist Neah Evans is ready to embrace the “chaos” as she makes another bid for Olympics glory, this time in Paris.
Evans claimed a silver medal as a member of the team pursuit team on her Olympics debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
She will race again in the team pursuit, which gets under way on Tuesday, and the Omnium on Sunday – but it is the women’s Madison on Friday which has got Evans laser focused.
She said: “In Tokyo I was focused on the team pursuit, but here my main focus is on the Madison as I feel I’m better suited to that event.
“I feel I’ve done a lot of good training, but the difference between the team event and the Madison is that the Madison is organised chaos.
“There is so much happening the whole time.
“The team pursuit is more organised. You go out with a schedule and you ride to the plan.
“You do get hiccups, but it tends to be a predictable event which comes down to the form you have on the day.
“In the Madison, you need luck as there is so much happening which is completely out of your control.
“That makes it quite a stressful event and really difficult to prepare for.”
‘Why am I doing that to myself?’
When Evans describes the difference between the two disciplines, it begs the question, why take on the event which, by her own admission, is unpredictable and fraught with potential pitfalls at every turn?
“I know, you hear yourself saying that, and you think: ‘Why am I doing that to myself?’
“You can go into the event in great shape, but another team’s tactics can cost you. All it takes is for a crash in front of you and your race is over.
“I had that in the European Championships earlier this year when racing with Elinor Barker.
“We won the first sprint then two minutes later she crashed out, and that was it… race over.
“I was feeling really good that day, so obviously I was hugely disappointed.
“But it is fun to race in. It’s a real challenge and I do like that.
“I’ve accepted there are so many variables I can’t control with it, but once you get your head round that, it’s good fun.”
Evans relishing the pressure which comes with being a world champion
Evans has arrived in Paris as a two-time world champion and she knows with those accomplishments comes a target on her back.
But far from shying away from the pressure being best in the world brings, Evans – who will race with partner Barker – relishes it.
She said: “I’ve earned that pressure so I shouldn’t shy away from it. It’s a good thing I’m getting all that pressure as it shows there is an expectation there.
“It’s a privilege to have that pressure.
“If I went into this with no pressure and being an underdog then it would be more about participation than performance.
“Yes, there is a lot of pressure and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me. But I try to manipulate it to see it in a positive light.”
Archibald injury a blow for Team GB
Before the Madison comes the team pursuit and preparations have been disrupted by the loss of team-mate and fellow Scot Katie Archibald on the eve of the Games.
A freak accident where she tripped over a step in the garden in June left Archibald, a gold medallist in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, with a dislocated ankle, broken tibia and fibula, and two ligaments ripped off the bone.
It means Anna Morris and Jess Roberts are the new members of the team who took silver in Tokyo for the pursuit, with Meg Barker acting as a reserve in Paris.
Evans has sympathy for Archibald, but is confident it will affect the team.
She said: “It is a blow to lose Katie, but unfortunately it is a situation where it’s a team race and anything can change the day before a race.
“It’s something we are used to dealing with, but it’s a situation we didn’t want to be in.
“Of course it’s a huge disappointment for Katie, but for other people it opens up opportunities.
“It’s a tricky situation, but one you try to make the best of.”
Evans hungry for more after Tokyo
Evans spent the build-up to the Paris Olympics at an altitude training camp in Andorra.
It meant she missed some of the Team GB build-up before the Games, and while a bittersweet moment, it is a decision the Scot hopes can pay-off in France.
She said: “It’s such a huge thing in your career just to get to the Olympic Games.
“I’ve ticked that box of being at a Games, but now it’s much more about focusing, not necessarily on the result, but being able to race at the best I can be.
“The thing with the Olympics, of course, is that is one chance every four years.
“You look at Katie and one blip has meant that four-year cycle has gone- that makes this event precious.
“It’s one of these events that, because there is so much hype and media, everyone pays far more attention to the Olympics than the world championships, so there are different stresses.
“I missed the team kitting-out as I was in Andorra.
“Part of me wanted to be there as it was quite a fun experience. But kitting-out is fun for the memories, it doesn’t affect your performance, so I’m not so worried about those things.”
‘The time is what counts, not the age’
Having celebrated her 34th birthday on August 1, Evans has found herself fielding questions about her age and her future in the sport.
A late starter, Evans was a vet until the she gave up the profession to become a full-time cyclist in 2017.
In terms of her cycling career, Evans does not boast as many miles under her belt as most of her rivals, and her performances rather than her age are what will shape any decisions on her future.
Evans said: “There is a weird fascination about young superstars, and the flipside when you get older is that people write you off.
“People seem to associate high performance with younger athletes. For some events, like gymnastics, then, yes, absolutely.
“But for endurance-based sports there is a lot of research which says older athletes are constantly improving their endurance year after year.
“There will come a point where it tails off eventually, but for me I still feel I am making improvements so I’ve no desire to retire.
“The other thing in my favour is that, yes, on paper I’m an older athlete. But if you look at my time in the sport, I’m only now on a par with my competitors.
“It’s a weird juxtaposition, but I take it as a positive. The time is what counts, not the age. You are as young as you feel and my team-mates help keep me young.
“I’ve never felt my age has been a limiting factor to this point.
“It’s difficult to say what the future holds, but I’ve got aspirations beyond the Olympics.”
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