Former pro dismisses current safety measures: "These gimmicks haven't made a difference"

Safety in cycling continues to be a hot topic. Everyone seems to have an opinion or vision for how things could be improved. Recently, the UCI introduced new safety measures, including banning riders from celebrating when teammates win a race. Despite these efforts, safety remains a contentious issue. Former pros Tejay van Garderen and Brent Bookwalter have shared their perspectives on what they see as an increasingly unsafe situation in the sport.

"I hate to say this. I hate to be the one saying 'the riders make the race safer,' but it's kind of true," Van Garderen said on NBC Sports’ Beyond the Podium podcast. "Back in the day, we used to go to the Mallorca Challenge, and there used to be no breakaway just because nobody wanted to attack. And we we'd be going slow and then we'd kind of ramp up in the end. It would sort itself out. Those early-season races were safer."

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The peloton's average age is not decreasing

These days, that’s no longer the case. Even in January and February, the racing is already intense. Flat stages in Grand Tours used to occasionally turn into no more than a leisurely ride, but now even those stages see more aggressive tactics. Some ProTeams no longer view breakaway exposure as worthwhile and instead aim for results in the sprint.

The two former pros also noted that teams are focusing more on young talent, making the peloton appear younger. However, data provided by ProCyclingStats.com suggests this perception isn’t entirely accurate.

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Van Garderen and Bookwalter have watched cycling change

In recent months, various ideas have been proposed to improve safety, such as limiting chainring sizes to reduce downhill speeds. But Van Garderen doesn’t think these changes will make much difference. "Now that they're racing the way they're racing... And how we were racing at the end of our careers... That's what's made the racing quite a bit more dangerous. You know, I'm glad to be out of it now. But these gimmicks, like reducing the peloton from nine-rider teams to eight-rider teams, hasn't made a difference. Reducing the gears would not make a difference."

Brent Bookwalter, who raced alongside Van Garderen at BMC, agreed. "Time will tell. From my own personal experience, by the end of my career, guys were ratcheting up those chainrings. I would just keep my 53 on. I don’t know the exact stats, but observationally, the average age of the peloton is definitely going down. And that’s an example of 'the riders make the race safe.' A 19- or 20-year-old has a different decision-making process and risk profile than a 37- or 38-year-old Brent on the verge of retirement. I’m like, 'That 53, keep it there.' Whereas a 21-year-old is like, 'Give me a 58, I'm going big on this downhill.'"

Van Garderen echoed the sentiment. "95% of the peloton don't even have fully developed frontal lobes," he joked. "Yeah, they're going to be sending it every chance they get."

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