IT feels like a recent memory when we were all basking in the heady times of Glasgow 2014 yet earlier this week, the three-year anniversary of the Opening Ceremony of those Commonwealth Games passed. Cue much talk (again) of whether the legacy which was promised in the lead-up to those Games has, in fact, materialised.

The Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, built in the east end of Glasgow for the Games, was the venue that was specifically held up as a prime example of the legacy that would be left in the wake of Glasgow 2014. I am loath to judge any legacy claims after only three years – whether any true legacy has been left should, in my opinion, be judged a decade or more after the event.

However, there have been rumblings within the cycling community in Scotland since the conclusion of Glasgow 2014 that success of the Games three years ago have not been built-upon as effectively as one might have hoped. One such sceptic is James McCallum, my old Commonwealth Games team-mate and former British champion and Commonwealth medallist.

McCallum retired from elite cycling in the aftermath of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and as do many athletes when they are catapulted into the ‘real world’, McCallum did a little bit of a lot of things, including becoming directeur sportif and general manager of the men’s road team, ONE Pro Cycling as well as commentary duties and coaching roles. McCallum’s primary focus this year however has been setting up his cycling training hub in Edinburgh, META.

There can be no doubting the 38 year-old’s credentials – he works closely with Olympic champion Katie Archibald and British champion Eileen Roe but his focus is wider than working purely with those who are already among the world’s best.

“After Glasgow 2014, I got frustrated with how the system worked in Scotland so I decided to make my own system that works really well for athletes,” he explained. “I was annoyed that coaching was becoming so formulaic – athletes were being treated like robots and getting a programme thrown at them rather than being spoken to like they were human beings.” I have long had an issue with elite programmes – and it happens in many sports – whereby a select few athletes are singled out at a young age as the ‘chosen ones’.

McCallum is similarly worried that too few young riders are being given the opportunity to take the step to the next level. There are countless examples of individuals who were far from the top of the pile as junior athletes – including Sir Chris Hoy himself – who then went on to become world-class and if too few athletes are afforded the time to become late-developers, the talent pool will only shrink further.

“After Glasgow 2014, I think the focus was narrowed too much rather than opening up the doors and letting as many people in as possible,” said McCallum. “Not enough young riders are getting the chance to excel.” Next year’s Scottish Commonwealth Games squad will include a number of major championship medallists.

However, McCallum is concerned these few luminaries are papering over the cracks. “Right now, we have our golden eggs in Katie Archibald and Mark Stewart but we can’t rely on that,” he said. “If I was a Scottish domestic athlete right now, I’d be worried. The pot of talent isn’t big enough. “Why is that? Is it because we’re going down the track route too much and the athletes get brainwashed by the programmes so if they don’t make it, they assume they’re rubbish or not cut out for it – so we need to show them alternatives.” It is hugely encouraging that McCallum has established somewhere for young riders to go if they are not a part of a national programme.

In the absence of a bottomless pit of money, limits must be imposed in terms of numbers but it is hugely concerning when a rider who has been part of the Scottish cycling scene for so long is so utterly despondent about where his sport is going. Time will tell if McCallum has hit on a formula that works.

What is so heartening about his philosophy though, is that he is not just looking to develop young riders as athletes, he’s looking to develop them as people too. It’s a lesson that many national programmes could take heed of.

AND ANOTHER THING

Novak Djokovic announced earlier this week that he is to take the rest of 2018 off. His five-month break means he will finish the year outside of the world’s top 10, something that seemed unimaginable just over a year ago when he was completing the career grand slam at Roland Garros. Djokovic’s travails highlight just how unpredictable sport can be and when he returns in January, we will really see what he is made of. I would love to see him back to his best – in much the same way as all of us want to see our own Andy Murray firing on all cylinders – because a rejuvenated Djokovic versus a reinvigorated Roger Federer, and a fit Andy Murray, would be an enticing prospect for 2018.