"It's a bit crazy" - Michael Rasmussen slams Chris Froome & Wout van Aert's idea to limit gears for safety
Cycling
The topic of improving safety in cycling is once again at the forefront of minds in the peloton. Recently, both Chris Froome and Wout van Aert have backed the idea to limit gears in order to potentially increase safety. This idea has not been met with agreement across the cycling world though.
Once such dissenting voice comes from four-time Tour de France stage winner Michael Rasmussen. On the Viaplay programme Cykeltimen, the Dane revealed his concern for the idea of bringing in a rule that would / could limit the amount of gears on the pro bikes. "You rarely hear that from young, progressive riders and I think this initiative goes against everything we have seen in cycling so far," he begins his explanation.
"People have been cycling for 150 years and all that time it was about going as fast as possible and developing bikes to be as fast as possible. To impose restrictions like in Formula 1, I cannot imagine that," continues Rasmussen, comparing the potential regulations to those that have improved safety in motorsport. "The next time there is a crash on cobblestones you will hear people say: 'How can the cobblestones be made safer?"
Although Rasmussen is vehemently against the idea proposed by Froome and Van Aert, the Dane can see why these two, of all the peloton's stars, have been the ones to bring such a proposal forward. "These two have been exposed to accidents in relatively simple situations," he says, noting past crashes both Froome and Van Aert have suffered in their respective careers. "Froome crashed when he was cycling alone and the wind was blowing in his direction. What's more, he then came up with a proposal to ban bicycles with gears, because they were too dangerous to ride. It's a bit crazy," Rasmussen concludes.
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