Everything is changing for Bahrain-Merida in 2020. A new name and co-sponsor, Bahrain McLaren (opens in new tab), a bright new red and orange kit, and new riders for the 2020 season.

Fred Wright (opens in new tab) is one of them. The 20-year-old Brit won stages at the Tour de Lavenir and Giro d'Italia U23, respectively, in 2019, and excelled on the track, becoming national and under-23 European Madison champion.

After a stagiaire stint with the CCC team at the end of 2019, Wright turned pro with Bahrain McLaren, joining a team with three other Brits, including Mark Cavendish (open in new tab). He will start the season at the new Tour of Saudi Arabia in early February.

Cyclingnews: How did you get into cycling?

Fred Wright: I started pretty young. My parents live in south London, near the Hane Hill Velodrome. It was only a few minutes to the track, so I always went there. That's where I started.

CN: You were teammates with Mark Cavendish, was he an icon in your childhood?

FW: Exactly. I'm on this team, and my friends don't know much about cycling. But when I tell them I'm on the same team as Mark Cavendish, they say, "Wow. It's really cool and I'm happy to be a part of it.

It's nice to get to know him a little bit. He was at the orientation camp. That's good. He's definitely a good guy who can tell you what to do in those situations. He's definitely going to learn a lot next year.

CN: How did you make the step up to Bahrain McLaren?

FW: I would say it was a big leap (last year). Definitely on the road. I feel like I'm a lot stronger and I hope I can keep getting better and better. The season went better than I thought it would.

That's not to say that I'm not ready. I can't tell you how excited I am to be racing. I'm really grateful for this opportunity and I'm itching to get started racing at this camp.

CN: Last season you were a stager in the CCC. Why did you choose Bahrain McLaren?

FW: I'm not saying CCC was bad, but the moment I spoke to Rod [Ellingworth, Bahrain McLaren's team manager] here, I knew that having someone like that leading the team would make the right change for me. What he said about the partnership with McLaren and how it would gradually make the team even bigger, I definitely felt that this was the right place to join that journey. They have a lot of good ideas

CN: What kind of rider are you?

FW: Not necessarily a sprinter, but I have ridden the circuit in the past and am not slow. I think I am strong in races like the classics. At the moment I think I am an all-rounder who can be strong in all kinds of races. I should be useful for the team. Next year I want to help Cav in the lead-out.

CN: Do you plan to mix track and road racing in the future?

FW: The team seems happy for me to jump on the track and use it as a training tool for racing. I get to do what I like to do. But to be honest, I like racing on a track bike and I like racing in Madison. So honestly, I'm just happy to be able to run for six days every once in a while. I think I'm in great shape to continue to enjoy riding my bike.

CN: Finally, what are your career goals?

FW: As far as dreams go, I think there haven't been many British riders competing in classic style racing in recent years. I think that would be a great goal for the next few years. It would be a lot of flat races, like cobblestone. I think it's a good thing to aim for that