Fred Wright confident of soon taking maiden pro win after impressive start to 2022

The Londoner put in a stellar performance at Paris-Nice last week and now heads into his Classics campaign stronger than ever

Fred Wright
(Image credit: Bahrain-Victorious)

There might not be a win just yet, but Fred Wright can feel one coming. The Bahrain-Victorious rider was up there among the best at Paris-Nice, finishing in the top-10 twice in the opening three stages and impressed in the time trial too, coming 13th.

“I can see it happening hopefully, I don't know when, I don't know where but I'm always going to be pushing,” the 22-year old told Cycling Weekly in a rainy Nice at the end of the eight-day stage race.

“I'm really happy with the legs, we've got Jack [Haig] up here on GC (he finished sixth overall), but I've been given my own chances, especially since Sonny [Colbrelli] was out at the start of the race,” the Londoner explained.

“It has been a good week and I'm really happy,” Wright explained. “It has been hard racing all the time, but I've been happy to be up there. The gap is smaller than it has been in the past, I can see it happening hopefully, I don't know when, I don't know where but I'm always going to be pushing. 

“I'm settling myself into the team well and I know where I might be given opportunities, especially with the Classics coming up there's so much racing. I'm looking forward to it.”

Next, he will ride Milan-San Remo at the weekend, where he will one of the options Bahrain-Victorious have alongside Matej Mohorič and Sonny Colbrelli, if he recovers from illness.

“I'm now going to do San Remo next weekend, I wasn't originally going to do it,” he said “I did it last year but it was almost too much with the amount of racing at the start of the season, but actually this year I'm happy with where I'm at and I'm not too tired, and I think it should be good.”

“I was rooming with Gino Mäder and he got the same illness everyone else has got, luckily I seem to have been alright,” he said. “I'm obviously going to have to take it super easy after this race because it has been hard. I think maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones to be honest.

“Maybe the third of the guys that aren't here are just unlucky. Fingers crossed I'll avoid all covid and whatever else this bug is that's going round.”

Ahead of the final stage, Wright was just focusing on keeping warm and staying upright, which was easier said than done on a torrid day on the Côte d’Azur. 

“Staying warm today, that's the priority,” he told Cycling Weekly. “It's going to be easy enough to stay warm on the climbs, but I don't know about when I eventually get dropped and ride into the finish. And stay upright too.”

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.