Bahrain Mclaren’s Fred Wright’s training insights
The Bahrain-mclaren neo-pro on dealing with the heat, hard training and Garmin outages
You live near Manchester and share a house with Ethan Hayter and Matt Walls – was that a good training environment?
It was actually really good in lockdown, having others to train with who could push me on. I don’t think there were many riders who had that situation, so I was quite lucky really. For me, lockdown didn’t seem that bad – compared to some other riders not even being allowed to go outside.
Your first race back postlockdown was Strade Bianche (1 August). How did it go?
To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed [to DNF], it being such a big race. I got a bit unlucky and then I just didn’t have anything in the heat. I was cooked really early on, and that was me done for the day. My Garmin recorded 42ºc, and I’d never raced in that kind of heat before – being from the UK doesn’t help sometimes!
How did you get started in cycling?
It was just something my dad recommended for the summer holidays, to fill my time as a nine or 10-year-old. I was pretty young, but just loved it straight away.
And when did you get more serious about it?
Around the age of 14 or 15, when I got selected for the [British Cycling] Talent Team. When all that started to happen, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m pretty good at this’. From then on, I stayed with British Cycling until last year [upon signing for CCC].
Who was most influential in shaping you as a rider?
Probably older youth riders [in VC Londres] – there was always someone I’d ride with and race against as mates, someone to keep trying to be better than. I was never the top guy, and I think that really helped, as I was always aspiring to be like that person who was a bit older than me. Now it’s me and Ethan [Hayter] and Jacob [Vaughan] who are inspiring the younger guys – it’s an ongoing cycle. Also, my
QUICK-FIRE FAVES
Recovery day activity?
An afternoon nap.
Sport that isn’t cycling?
Football.
Post-ride food?
Always fancy a bit of gnocchi.
Motivational music or film?
Kanye West always delivers, and 300 is a good film to watch on the turbo – plenty of action.
Quality in a training partner?
Good chat. Some would say, ‘don’t half-wheel’, but if you’re getting half-wheeled because you’re not pushing on enough, it can be a good thing.
Training product or accessory?
I always have my long pump in the frame of my training bike – just because it’s so much better than a little hand pump. first coach Stuart Blunt was a really important influence. His training was never very specific or superstructured – I didn’t have a power meter as a junior – as it was more about riding
according to your own feelings, and that’s something I’ll always keep with me.
Is that the way you still prefer to train?
I guess it depends; what with being in the [Bahrain-mclaren] set-up now, there are times when you have to get your really specific hours done and ride to certain powers. But when I have a general ride to do, most of the time I do just ride it on feel – and if the watts are a bit higher than usual, then great, and if not, it doesn’t matter. Like everyone, I get frustrated when I don’t have my Garmin or when Garmin Connect is down – but I have to remind myself that all I’ve got to do is ride my bike!