How a three-year-old helped Fachie become Scotland record-breakerImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Neil Fachie climbed into the crowd to meet wife Lora and son FraserByRichard WintonBBC Sport Scotland at Sir Chris Hoy VelodromePublished32 minutes agoAll Neil Fachie wanted after hirpling off his bike at the side of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome track was to find his three-year-old son in the crowd. For the previous few minutes, as his heart burned, lungs roared and legs ached during four flat-out laps, the 42-year-old just kept repeating the little boy’s name. “Fraser, Fraser, Fraser.””The last two laps of the race, he was all I was thinking about,” Fachie told BBC Sport Scotland. “He was the motivation. Just saying his name over and over while I was seeing stars and ready to collapse was what I needed.” The mantra kept the Aberdonian pumping and, ultimately, took him all the way to a sixth Commonwealth Games gold medal after first Australia, then favourites Wales, failed to better Scotland’s time.It was the nation’s first cycling medal on the first day of the competition, and a second followed when the women’s team sprint trio of Lauren Bell, Iona Moir and Maddy Silcock saw off the Australians in the bronze-medal race.NHS physio Silcock led them off, before Moir took over. Then double world medallist Bell maintained the pace until the end to claim a podium place.”It’s one of those things you imagine when you’re doing a hard session,” Bell told BBC Sport Scotland. “You have nerves by you’re just out there finding joy in riding for your nation. That takes the nerves off and luckily we’ve come away with bronze.”Glasgow 2026 ‘great way to go out’, says Fachie
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Published26 February