Cycling ace Jack Carlin insists ending major medal drought provides no motivation for European push

Jack Carlin insists he will not be motivated by ending his major championship gold medal drought when he sizes up for a sizzling Sunday showdown at the European Championships. The Scottish star, 25, has racked up virtually every Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth silver and bronze going on the track but is still yet to clamber to the summit of the podium. Ad Carlin has enjoyed an impressive European campaign in Munich by bagging team sprint bronze alongside fellow Scot Alistair Fielding and Hamish Turnbull before turning his attention to the individual event on Saturday.

CyclingCycling star Jess Roberts battles back to claim Euro silver23 MINUTES AGO The Paisley peddler entered the event as one of the undisputed favourites and justified that label with a searing time of 9.064 seconds to top morning qualifying. And knockout victories against Italian Matteo Bianchi and Hungarian star Sandor Szalontay then catapulted him into Sunday’s semi-final alongside teammate Turnbull, 23. Carlin claimed silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer and after his team sprint podium on Friday, is now a combined seven-time world and European medallist.

But none are the colour he desires the most after being pipped at the finish line on so many occasions. Carlin says he’s keeping cool under pressure and hopes sticking to his tried and tested process can finally change his fortunes at Munich’s Messe velodrome. He said: «I want to win every time I race.

»But I’m also well aware that if people are better than you on the day, they’re better than you. «You just have to keep plugging away and hope the time will come. »I still enjoy riding the bike, and that's the reason I'm here.