"It was a bit of a silly move, but if you don't try, you never know" - Fred Wright has no regrets after his solo attempt
Cycling
Fred Wright gave it his best shot in the first stage of Critérium du Dauphiné, but ultimately the 25-year-old Brit wasn't rewarded for his valiant effort as the GC favourites were unleashed on the last categorized climb, belittling Wright's attempt to surprise the bunch.
The Bahrain - Victorious sighs that had he found a partner in crime or two for his escape, the odds would've been more in his favor. "I committed, and I really wanted someone to join me. I thought it's the kind of interesting stage where maybe it's a bit too hard for the sprint," he told Cyclingnews and ITV Sport after the stage.
Wright took off from the peloton with 37 kilometers to go, but the second time up Cote de Buffon came 7 kilometers too early for the brave attacker. "I had a plan in my head to attack, but [when] I think again, I definitely should have maybe waited for the last time. Then again, on the last time, you're less likely to get away," he explained his other possibilities.
"It was a bit of a silly move, but if you don't try, you never know. And it was nice to get a taste, but I was sort of hoping one or two guys came with me."
Ultimately, it wouldn't have been an option to win from the main group with riders like Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel railing the final climb. That's not quite Wright's league. And waiting for sprint didn't sound like a winning move to him either. The upcoming stages will definitely come with an opportunity to try again.
"I'm not the fastest in a bunch sprint, [but] I want to win bike races. So those are the kind of situations I've got to find myself in to try and win," he said. "It's pretty tough, the Dauphiné, and there's a strong field here. They already showed themselves today, to be honest. A few more chances [still to come]."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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