"I'm really excited to be part of that trajectory" - Fred Wright looks forward to joining Tom Pidcock at Q36.5

The battle for top spots on the ProTeam ranking will be fierce in next years. With two very strong Swiss teams set to lead the charge in the upcoming three-year cycle, it will be interesting to see whichever comes out on top. Q36.5 Pro Cycling put their name on the map last winter with the acquisition of multi-discipline star Tom Pidcock, but it's their signings for 2026 that make them a serious contender for promotion at the end of 2028. Among those stands out Fred Wright as the team's new star for cobbled Classics.

"I'm really excited to be part of that trajectory, I think. It's going to be nice, I'm a little bit nervous coming to a new environment, but those nerves are going to serve as a bit of improvement, so it should be good," Wright told Domestique.

Q36.5 Pro Cycling have been very active at the transfer market this winter, bringing a number of former Grand Tour stage winners such as Eddie Dunbar and Chris Harper. Where the Swiss team lacked a bit in the past were the Classics, but they added notable firepower in that area as well. Next to Wright, also Quinten Hermans and Brent Van Moer are joining the team. And then there is of course Tom Pidcock.

Wright spent his whole professional career so far with Bahrain - Victorious, but he doesn't expect any extra complications with integrating into a new structure. "I think it will be an easy environment to settle into," he said about the change of outfits.

Despite the step down from WorldTour to a Pro team, Wright looks forward to 2026 as if it was any other year. Just like in his previous team, the 26-year-old Brit should be once again doing a full Classics calendar as a leader of his team with hopes of finally clinching that big victory. But Wright is also not opposed to doing some racing under the radar with hopes of extending his palmares. Currently, he has only one professional victory from the 2023 National Championships.

"I think it will kind of be a similar story, but I'm looking forward to doing some newer races, maybe some smaller races, and get my hands in the air, that would be nice."

But before inevitable change of colours, there are still some more competitions to ride. Starting off with the home Tour of Britain. Bahrain brought a strong team with Pello Bilbao for GC and Matevz Govekar for sprints.

"We've got a few cards to play, so we're going to try to light the race up, so it should be fun," he explained.

That Bahrain valued Wright highly is apparent from his five consecutive Tour de France selections. In 2022, a victory wasn't too far either when Wright lost in a sprint of three to Mads Pedersen. This year wasn't as glorious with a 7th place in Toulouse as a highlight. No wonder Wright was a bit down with his assessment of the race.

"A bit as good as my juggling, kind of average. No, it was a nice three weeks with the guys, but we didn't quite get what we were after, a slightly frustrating Tour, but that's the way it goes sometimes," he admitted.