FIGHTING FOR SCRAPS

In an era dominated by Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, how do the underdogs of the peloton summon the courage to keep hoping and attacking?

- Tom Thewlis

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Attacking into the finish town of Montluçon, Fred Wright found himself alone, leading the opening stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

He was in the running to take his first international win.

It was a stage the Brit had been targeting for a while – a mundane, flat parcours, billed for either the sprinters or breakaway specialists. Wright's lead over the peloton continued to increase – five, 10, 15, up to 20 seconds. His moment had come.

Until it hadn't. Visma-Lease a Bike chased down Wright and swallowed him up with a handful of kilometres to go. Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard surged ahead, followed by the world champion Tadej Pogačar, instigating a reduced bunch sprint. To no one's surprise, the Slovenian took the win. For Wright, it was a lesson hard-learned: you need to do a lot more to beat the best.

"It was a foolish attack," says Wright, remembering that humid afternoon in early June. "You have to keep believing and trying your best, but it's so hard for everyone now that there are two talents who are able to win in so many different scenarios."