Glasgow 2026: Elliot Rowe motivated by mum’s cycling lesson

“You don’t know whether it is the last time you ride your bike.

“Everything can change very quickly and I think that was something we were always pretty aware of, both me and my sister, and I think, even with school and stuff, we knew we needed to apply ourselves to have something else to fall back on.

“Because it is nice to have a dream of racing a bike, but it is so fragile this sport that it can come to an end before it even starts almost.”

Rowe admits that, while his mum is “really proud” of what he is achieving, he doubts she was “ever really keen that me or my sister got into the bike racing because she knew what it entailed and how hard it is”.

The Aberdeenshire rider won silver at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, was third in the men’s under-23 race at last year’s British National Time Trial Championships and also won gold and bronze medals at last year’s European Under-23 Championships.

Rowe now races for cycling giants Team Visma Lease a Bike as part of their development team and said: “Last year was my first year with the team and I progressed pretty quickly over a short period of time and I think I was definitely ahead of where I expected myself to be, and probably the coaches as well.

“And I think this year it is just trying to continue that progression and personally I feel like I am quite on track at the minute, so it is nice and we will just keep working hard.”

Rowe revealed his “main goal” is “to go professional on the road”, pointing out: “I really want to get that contract and do my hobby as a real job.”

As for his chances of a Commonwealth Games medal, he added: “I don’t see why not if things go my way.”