FRED WRIGHT: New kit day never gets old

Nothing beats a new kit day. Turning up on the first day of training camp to a huge box of fresh kit in your room is always cool.

The excitement was even greater this year as most of it is stripy. For 2024 the team has completely changed the colours and design to a white and blue look. I'm a big fan but it does mean I'll stand out a bit less. Of course I want to milk my time as a national champ as much as possible.

At least grabbing bottles will be easier now. When you're a different colour to everyone else the swannys tend to pull bottles away thinking you're from another team. At the end of the season I really had to make an effort to be seen by the guys on the roadside - that basically involved a bit more waving and shouting.