‘Grand Tour riders will become more valuable with eight rider teams’

Team directors say reduced teams will make selection even harder for Grand Tours

Team Dimension Data ride ahead of Mark Cavendish at the 2016 Tour de France (Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

The decision to reduce the number of riders per team in Grand Tours from nine to eight from the 2018 season will make riders more valuable as there will be less opportunities for many to race three-week stage races.

That is the view of Dimension Data sports director Roger Hammond, who dismissed suggestions that the ruling – announced on Thursday as part of increased safety measures – would dramatically alter the dynamics of racing tactics.

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