A new-build housing estate on the outskirts of Manchester is not where you would necessarily expect to find one of the riders of the moment, a man who seemed on fire at times this season, and yet in a modern terrace is where Fred Wright lives, with fellow WorldTour pro Ethan Hayter.
The 23-year-old Londoner, who became a fan favourite with eye-catching rides at the Tour of Flanders, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, has not quite made the transition to the Girona or Nice bubble.
Neither has he given up his old Vauxhall, which research tells me must be at least 10 years old, pulling up to his home just in time for the interview, more befitting an Inbetweener than a pro athlete. For someone who finished second on stages of the Tour and the Vuelta in 2022, it feels more like student life than that of a top cyclist, one with a deal with Bahrain Victorious until at least 2025, signed in September off the back of his impressive summer.
Not that this is a negative thing; if anything, it’s a positive, a reminder that the Bahrain Victorious rider still has his feet on the ground, despite a breakthrough year, even if he hasn’t had that breakthrough win.
Seventh at Flanders back in April was followed by an impressive Tour, where
