Maximiliano Richeze: I love leading from the front for UAE Team Emirates

The lead out man is a role often overlooked by the public in its importance to delivering podium finishes for a cycling team.

It's a role that seems to get lost in the stardom of the sprinters and climbers. A role that appears to require maximum physical exertion with little personal reward.

But for me, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

I actually began my career as a sprinter back in Argentina, spending countless days racing on the track with my friends and teammates under the South American sunshine. Growing up on the track was incredibly beneficial for someone like me, as this arena allows you to really develop the speed and power that you’re able to generate.

My cycling career has seen me race for five professional teams starting back in 2006. However, it was only when I joined Belgian squad Etixx–Quick-Step that I transitioned from a sprinter into the lead-out man.

As a sprinter, you are always hunting your next victory, and after a while without a win it can lead to an enormous build-up of pressure. You start to develop self-doubt, which as a cyclist is not somewhere you want to be.

Prior to making the tactical switch, I was winning a handful of races per season. While these numbers are still palatable to most cycling teams around the world, I felt that I still wasn’t doing enough as the main sprinter of a world tour team, with expectation levels constantly being pushed and elevated. Since transitioning into the role as a lead out man, I haven’t looked back.

As a lead out cyclist, the training requirements are similar to that of a sprinter. You need to be able to produce an enormous turn of speed and power at the end of a long stage.

My role requires me to protect the sprinter, putting him in the best