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James Moultrie

'Maybe making the bunch even bigger is a mistake' – Mathieu van der Poel questions safety of increased Tour de France peloton size

van der Poel Mathieu van der Poel Tour France Tour de France Adam Hansen UCI Cyclingnews Grand Tours CPA
LILLE, FRANCE - JULY 03: Mathieu Van Der Poel of Netherlands during the press conference of Team Alpecin - Deceuninck prior to the 112th Tour de France 2025 / #UCIWT / on July 03, 2025 in Lille, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images).

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) questioned the number of riders in the Tour de France peloton, increasing from 176 to 184 for 2025, with the UCI adding a 23rd team and eight more riders at all three Grand Tours from this season on.

As the ongoing discussion surrounding safety in the peloton rages on, Van der Poel weighed in on the debate surrounding safety at his pre-Tour press conference, singling out the issue of more riders in the bunch as a potential error.

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