Stewart: Games can launch fresh Scots cycling success

FORMER Commonwealth Games rider Kevin Stewart is confident Glasgow 2014 can be a springboard for continued Scottish success in track cycling.

The Dundee-born rider broke the British record at the Junior Championships in 2009, leading to his inclusion in the 2010 Commonwealth Games squad. The 21-year-old, now the head coach at the Sir Chris Hoy Veledrome, believes the UCI Track Junior Championships from 7-11 August is the ideal platform to prove Glasgow’s credentials at the elite level. “2014 is a springboard to bigger and better things.” Stewart said. “It’s about carrying it on to 2016, 2018 and 2020, and using the momentum of Glasgow to do great things in different countries and in different competitions.

“The Junior World Champs is an incredibly high standard of racing. The event itself is of a really high magnitude and the prestige is high as well.

“Having it feature in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games is absolutely perfect for it. It gives us an idea of what it’s like to have all these nations coming across and an idea of how the event will run in a really new facility.”

Stewart was speaking at the Junior Championships launch in Glasgow and has focused his attention on coaching since 2010. He was joined by pupils of St Michael’s Primary School in the East End where he has been helping out with some hands-on tips for the young riders.

The former Team Scotland rider is working closely with some of the talented athletes at the £113m Veledrome.

With the most successful British Olympian set to bow out after Glasgow 2014, Stewart feels the void left by Hoy will be filled by another Scottish rider based on the success of the British Cycling Olympic programme. He said: “Sir Chris Hoy has done some unbelievable things. He’s an inspiration and it’s totally right to have his name on the Veledrome.

“For all the guys coming here – even the GB guys – they look up to the Scots. It’s a real inspiration for us to race in the Veledrome which is named after Sir Chris.

“A couple of guys on the GB programme could fill the void, like Callum Skinner and John Paul, and hopefully both will be at the Commonwealth Games. We’re looking at some other riders and we’re hoping to bring them along. A lot of our new riders can make the jump.”