THE Z FACTOR

Tom Pidcock has done the business on the road and off it in recent years, but he's just the tip of the British talent iceberg. Meet six starlets of Generation Z who could be targeting victories in the biggest bike races over the next decade

- Andy McGrath

Fred Wright

Age 23 From London Team Bahrain-Victorious

Rider type All-rounder/Classics

Wants to win Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix

Cycling heroes Bradley Wiggins & Mark Cavendish

Best result 2nd, 2022 Tour de France stage

Fun fact He has a growing Lego collection

Cycling Plus says: Part of a golden group from London's Herne Hill Velodrome who started out "messing around", Wright is charismatic and well-rounded, getting up there in breaks and bunch sprints. He broke through in 2022, finishing second in stages of the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. It's only a matter of time until his first pro victory, so keep an eye on this talented young Londoner.

Fred says: "I went to watch the Tour of Flanders and ride the sportive when I was 14. Seeing the pros on the Kwaremont settled it in my head: this race is really cool. I wanted to do it from then, really. That's what was so nice with my 2022 result there, it was like 'I really do belong [with the best]'. You don't come seventh in the Tour of Flanders by chance.

My tendency is to overthink. It's easy to get too analytical with how things go; I think I've got a good relationship with training and how that leads onto the racing side of things. And I think I maybe don't quite realise how good I am. But that keeps me motivated in training, so I get better. Maybe it's the reason why I'm not going to win hundreds of bike races, but it's good to be in that mentally positive headspace. I'm always searching for more from myself, basically. But I'm learning to be a bit more arrogant, so to speak: bike racing can be complicated so you've got to be confident too.