MARK STEWART’S fascinating YouTube vlogs give the ordinary cycling fan a window into everything that goes on behind the scenes but also deliver an insight into the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion’s personality and state of mind.
Getting dropped by British Cycling was clearly a challenging point in his career but the Dundonian has rebounded in spirited fashion, joining the New Zealand-based Black Spoke cycling team as the only non-Kiwi rider and learning to enjoy life again, free from the constraints of being part of the GB Manchester machine.
There has been mention now of him competing in the madison at the Paris Olympics but Stewart believes he would likely have to sacrifice too much to make that a reality.
“I was lucky when I was 18 to compete in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games and doing that opened up a door for me to join British Cycling,” he reflects.
“And I had five years of me working hard, doors being opened and taking opportunities. With that results came but I was also following a path that was laid out for me as a young athlete.
“When I then lost my job as a professional cyclist I had to take stock. I could have quit there and then and been content with that.
“But I made the decision to come back and second time around it makes me a lot more appreciative of the things I’ve been able to do, the places I’ve been to, the people I’ve met and the results that I’ve got.
“I’m probably more reflective now than I was in my younger years. You realise that a lot of the things you used to stress over just don’t matter.
“If I had stopped cycling after I got dropped by British Cycling it would have been a perfectly reasonable choice. I was living and working in New Zealand and quite settled with Emma [Cummings, his partner and fellow pro cyclist].
“But the question then is: why continue? And the reason was because I love riding my bike and it’s a cool thing to do. There’s a full stop right there. And it’s not much more complicated than that. There's freedom in that. You’re not doing it for anyone else. You’re just doing it mainly for yourself.”
Stewart’s strong performances in 2022 – including a third place finish in the UCI Champions League – have not gone unnoticed in Manchester. The chance to go back to attend to unfinished business is tempting but the Scot has a lot to weigh up.
“I had a conversation with the GB coach, Ben Greenwood, and he was really open to the idea of me potentially integrating with the squad,” he reveals. “Which was really nice actually. British Cycling had always been a really closed book and once you were off the squad, you were off the squad. That door was shut.
“So it was refreshing to hear he was open to the idea and you can see that. From his [Greenwood] point of view it would be crazy not to have this bigger pool of talent.
“But I also understand that they are Olympics-driven and you have to fit into that box. As much as I love bunch racing and think I could be their madison guy, if you can’t fit that into a team pursuit then you don’t fit into that box. And that’s just the way it goes.
“So unfortunately Paris isn’t really in my thoughts. If it was a case of them just saying, “we’re going to pick the best two madison riders to win gold in Paris” then I would love to give that a crack.
“But that’s not what they’re saying. They want to pick the best team pursuit and from there make a madison pairing. I believe they can. Look at Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood, two of my very close friends. And as much as I would love to be there I can’t deny that’s a winning formula in my opinion.
“We have a lot less control over the things we think we do. In sport we tend to say the things we think people want to hear. But the truth is whether I go to Paris or not isn't in my hands. And from a realistic point of view there are people in a better position than me.
“I’d also have to look at what I would have to give up. Potentially I’d have to live back in Manchester and slot into the squad and right now I’m living with a lot of freedom. I love riding with Black Spoke and being able to live in Europe with my fiancée. And I’m not willing to give up those freedoms to compete in an Olympic Games.
“Some things are more important and that’s something that wasn’t said enough when I was young. All I heard was that going to an Olympics was everything. And therefore if you don’t make it then your self-worth is rock bottom. As a young athlete that’s what you’re made to feel.
“But not everyone wants to live in four-year cycles. I’ve spoken to people who say, ‘yes I’ve got an Olympic medal but I don’t have a wife and kids or any stability in my life’. It’s not for me to say what’s right for other people but for my life I think it’s maybe not.”
