'Worst day of my life' - Fred Wright suffers through stage 11 with broom wagon and misses time limit

Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) (Image credit: Getty Images)

“That was the worst day of my life,” was the poignant summary of stage 11 at the Tour de France by Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious). Riding most of the hilly 211km into the Massif Central well behind the main field, the 25-year-old had only the broom wagon for company on the final climbs into Le Lioran.

TV cameras captured the slow progress for Wright as he crossed the finish line trailed by the tell-tale broomwagon to the applause from a small crowd. His day, and his Tour, ended with the clock showing he was outside the limit - one hour, one minute and 50 seconds behind stage winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).

“I really had to suffer, and it wasn't much fun,” he told ITV Cycling after the stage. 

“I wouldn't have wished this on my worst enemy, not that I've got that many enemies. Yeah, that was … I don't think I'm gonna suffer like that again, which is hopefully a good thing.”

Team Sports Director Gorazd Štangelj had said before the flag dropped to begin the massive stage into the Massif Central that it would be “a bit unpredictable stage,” and he was correct, both for the GC and for what happened to Wright. He said his riders would need to react, “be in the mix, ready to fight,” and be ready for everything.

“I'm not sure, to be honest. It was an easy day yesterday, and at the finish felt terrible. I couldn't help the boys, so I kind of was like, OK, let's go into today with a sort of fresh mind. And, you know, I'm always gonna be up for it, always stay positive.

“Just in the start, for the first one or two k [I was] involved, but then I just suddenly had a bit of a moment. I was like, man, I feel terrible. I really didn't have any power left. And, I was on my own quite early on,” he said in exasperation. “I've always been quite good at sort of TT’ing working out - this is what I've got; this is where I need to push.”

Just two years ago, Wright showed brilliance in his second Tour with a second-place finish on stage 13 from Bourg d’Oisans to Saint-Etienne, a hilly day in the Alps in the second week of racing. It was a fourth trip to the Tour de France for Wright, but he would not be able to make it to Nice for the finale.

“I got no regrets because that was what I had. Just a shame it was just me alone,” he said with a wry chuckle.

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Jackie Tyson
North American Production editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).