Pessimist or perfectionist, Aberdeenshire cyclist Neah Evans uses whatever she can to fuel her pursuit of success.
That is why even with three Commonwealth Games medals from Birmingham, adding to her two from the Gold Coast in 2018, the fact one of them was not gold still gnaws at her.
Evans took bronze in the individual pursuit and silver in the points race on the track, before a surprise but hard-earned silver in the road race at the end of the Games.
A medal in the scratch race narrowly evaded her too, as an aggressive move late on was not enough to hold on for a top-three finish.
“There was a tiny part of me that was disappointed as going into it I wanted to come away with a gold and I was very close to it,” said Evans. “It’s still fresh enough that I’m re-running it in my mind, rather than focusing on the success I had.
“In a year’s time, I will look back and be really proud at getting three medals, which is the most from a female Scottish cyclist at a single Games. That will be the theme of it. But at the moment it’s still fresh in my mind.
“I made a comment to one of the coaches after the scratch race that I better be back in four years time (to get a gold). I feel like I have unfinished business.
“Sometimes I feel like I need a reality check with what I have achieved. At the European Championships (after the Games) there were so many good moments, but ultimately it went wrong and it cost me. I have high expectations of myself and I didn’t show the legs I had.”
Having a mindset where you do not take in successful moments until long into the future might seem strange or hard-line to some.
But it is a mentality which has worked for Evans and driven her to the top echelons of cycling. The nature of the sport and her talent means she often enters several races – individual and team – each competition, so time for reflection and appreciation is brief when you are in that bubble.
“It really keeps me grounded,” she said. “Even when you have a good result, you could be racing the next day. It’s a blank sheet and you go again.
“I’ve seen people caught up celebrating one result that they don’t do well in the next race. It means I can pick myself up and go again – I’m never completely satisfied until a lot of time has passed.
“I’m not saying it’s the best approach but it helps me stay balanced. Everyone has different approaches and that’s true of people in general, not just athletes. For me, it’s the drive and motivation to continue.
“If it’s a mistake I’ve made and it’s something I’ve done previously, I get really annoyed at myself because I should have learned from it.
“In the points race at the Games, I wanted to sit back for a while as normally I get involved quite early at the front. I executed my plan but there was definitely a moment where I thought “I’ve messed this up”. But I stayed chilled and it worked out pretty well.
“I went to the Euros and my coach said I’d left it too late to pick up points. I took it too literally and went too early in the next race. Next time it’ll be the Goldilocks of points races and I’ll get it just right.”
You might think given her status as an international athlete, that Evans is the most well-travelled in the family.
However, her two brothers both live abroad, with Callum in Norway, having had a spell working in Antarctica, and Donald in Germany, who came to watch his sister during the Euros in Munich.
“It was a public holiday in Germany at the time so he got on the train to watch me race, which was nice,” said Evans. “It’s quite fun when you’ve got a family member watching.
“My oldest brother was going to work in Antarctica this winter – not for as long as he has before – but he flew into Aberdeen and then had to go into strict isolation for two weeks, as it’s a Covid-free zone down there.
“I was travelling back up hoping to see him then his company moved it forward and sent a taxi up to get him. He had a long drive south and I had a long drive north, so we ended up putting the live location on WhatsApp and waved at each other as we went past on the motorway.”
