"Having your life, I think, is always more important" - Tim Declercq advocates for riders to take less risk in the peloton
Cycling
Tim Declercq is a rider closely associated to the long flat stages, where he would spend large hours in the front working for his leaders. The former pro and now Soudal - Quick-Step coach believes that this would be the safest position however in a peloton that is riding with increasingly more and more risks.
"I tried so many times, but I couldn't really put this aside. I tried to analyze things a little bit and I was of course lucky to be always more towards the front. And that's the most safe spot in the bunch," Declercq believes, as said in words to the Domestique Hotseat podcast.
Declercq worked for sprinters such as Mark Cavendish, Fabio Jakobsen and Tim Merlier's success, before joining Lidl-Trek in what was his last season as a pro. With the likes of Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen onboard, he continued having the same domestique role, which he fulfilled all the way into his retirement.
However, regardless of how much time he spent in the head of the peloton, he was well aware of what happened in the back. And a few moments would get him quite nervous: "On those descents where the speed was so high, then I sometimes I just drifted completely to the back".
Hence the conversation revolved around safety in the sport, coming from a rider that turned pro in 2012 and has seen the evolution throughout the years. One such aspect were the narrower handlebars so as to be more aerodynamic, but would make bike handling more difficult in the peloton.
The Belgian believes the minimum handlebar width rule was an important decision: "Of course, first of all, I really am a fan of the minimum handlebar width. But actually the biggest problem is the riders themselves without throwing a stone to anybody because it's just so important to always be there in the front and there's only place for 20 riders in the first 20."
Jan-Willem van Schip was an extreme case of a rider who, much due to his experience on the track as well, began racing in extremely narrow handlebars on the road
Riders taking huge risks
Other ideas include the reduction of gear ratios, the yellow card system, and also potentially the creation of protection systems in the riders' equipment, as is the case in motor racing. "It's maybe a bit naive, but I have something I don't want to settle for that idea. Maybe they could in theory also make an airbag system or something like this."
However, Declercq knows that the riders are taking many more risks nowadays, and makes an urgent call for the riders to be more considerate when racing in groups. "Having your life, I think, is always more important and having a little bit more respect towards each other in the bunch. I think this is something where the whole bunch could benefit from."
The increased competitiveness and attention to detail leads to more teams looking to be in the leading positions; whilst the evolution in nutrition and technology is seeing the peloton move faster than ever before - all of it increasing the risks of large falls.
"Sometimes when the positions were made, sometimes I said to the riders close to me, just stay in position. Positions are made now and I think most of the times they also kind of listen to this. In the end you're just overtaking each other at some points and they just make it super dangerous, more dangerous".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too.Lozza14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too. So Zonnewotsit can stick it!Lozza14-11-2026
- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
- they have no expertise with classics, they have no leaders in classics. the classics is dominated by the few Fuori Classe riders where other riders are left with scraps. the Hiring , the salaries dont make sense at all. Same problem as Man Utd. over paid players, egos, very little performanceabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment