Neah Evans was in the middle of the Peak District when her Team Scotland selection for the Commonwealth Games was announced.
But the Cuminestown rider still feels a real buzz at being chosen to represent Scotland again at the Games this summer.
The Olympic silver-medalist is looking to add to her ever-increasing prize tally, which has swelled since her two medals at Gold Coast 2018.
“I’ll be honest – I’d forgot it was officially being announced on Thursday. So when I got back from my ride and that came through, it was quite a nice surprise,” said Evans.
“I’d seen on social media there was an official launch in Glasgow, which I wasn’t able to attend, and people were posting the pictures they’d got taken. I was hacking round the Peak District for five hours.
“It’s quite nice to come back to that and have it as a pick-me-up.
“Seeing it’s official has made it a bit more real. There’s always an ill-founded seed of doubt until you actually see your name on that list.”
Evans heads into the Games in terrific form.
Following the Olympics, she won gold at the Europeans alongside long-time friend and colleague Katie Archibald, as well as ending up on the podium twice at the World Championships a fortnight later.
Her big breakthrough in international competition came at the Commonwealths four years ago, where she came home with silver and bronze medals for Scotland.
This time around she is among the elite riders in the world and one of the more experienced heads in the Team Scotland camp – which she does not need reminding of.
“In some senses it’s nice, but, in other ways, no it’s definitely not!” she added. “I’m still learning so much.
“Last time was my first major championships and I was pretty unproven at international level.
“When I left being a vet, the Commonwealth Games was the target. I really thought that was going to be my level – I would get to the Games and then go back to being a vet. That’s not really what’s happened.
“At that time I just didn’t think I would do another Commonwealth Games cycle.
“To be here again is really nice and it’s a different approach. From trying to get your name on the start-sheet to now focusing on being in the best shape possible to race.
“I’m a more experienced person in some sense, but I still don’t feel it. There’ll be people who are there for the first time who will have been cycling for longer than I have, which is a bit weird.
“I’m very much about time-in-sport, rather than age. Reports love to say how old you are, rather than how long you’ve been doing your sport. That’s the bit that actually matters.”
The track cycling will, unusually, take place outside of the host city of Birmingham, with racing to be held instead at the Lee Valley VeloPark in Stratford 130 miles away.
“I think there’ll be a really big buzz,” said Evans. “Non-cyclists will come and support because it’s a Commonwealth Games and potentially there’ll be a lot of people in London who want to watch sport, but not make the trip to Birmingham.
“I think there’ll be a big crowd and a real good atmosphere, which really transfers in London, because it’s (the velodrome) bowl-shaped. It’s surrounded by seating and spectators so, when there’s a big crowd, it’s really loud.
“You get this great atmosphere, which is really exciting.”
