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The Pros' View: "Bikes now are pieces of wood, they're no longer suitable."

An apt quote from Damien Touzé. He and Tom Pacquot are the first Pro Tour riders that Seven knows of to publicly discuss what we've seen evolve for years. After a life-threatening crash at the 2026 Tour of Oman, Touzé spoke out about modern bike design's poor ride control as the primary culprit behind increasing crashes in the peloton. We should listen to Touzé; he's been racing pro for seven years, has competed in the Giro, Tour de France, and the Vuelta, and has raced hundreds of other Pro Tour races.

What's unusual about Touzé and Pacquot's comments is that generally, riders are loath to say anything negative about their sponsors. So, this topic of degrading bike performance is never discussed. Chapeau to Touzé and Pacquot for speaking out.

In a YouTube interview with RTBFSport's podcast, "On Connaît Nos Classiques," both riders question the safety and design direction of modern carbon bikes. Former Belgian pro Tom Pacquot summarized this problem well:

"Bikes are no longer really bikes. You can no longer avoid anything on the road."

Tom Pacquot and Damien Touze discussing overly stiff bikes
Tom Pacquot and Damien Touzé are discussing overly stiff bikes and the resulting crash and hospitalization of Touzé.

Translation disclaimer: All quotes are translated from French by YouTube. We've edited the quotes for clarity.

Damien Touzé expressed his frustration this way:

"The bike is now 100% rigid. They are pieces of wood. So, the slightest shock you take from the wheel is amplified by 100 times to the rider. So what's for sure is you can't rectify a mistake on the bike."

Tom Pacquot agreed:

"Bicycles are becoming less and less maneuverable, and once there is a deviation or an emergency, and a change of trajectory is required, modern carbon bicycles are no longer able to do so. They are so aerodynamic that bikes are no longer really bikes; they ride on rails, and you can no longer avoid anything on the road."

Pacquot's final comment gets to the heart of the problem. Modern carbon bikes are so stiff, vertically, that riders cannot control, redirect, or influence bike performance the way they should be able to, and the way they could in the past. Both riders' concerns are not about limiting gear inches, reducing road furniture, or anything other than the physical aspects of the bikes.

generalized stiffness is bad
Carbon frames have, on average, gotten 17% harsher over the past decade. This is the problem that Damien Touzé and Tom Pacquot talk about.

Touzé's comments are not specifically about his team's bike sponsor. It is clear that in the context of the interview, he's speaking about carbon bikes in general.

For data that supports these riders' experiences, read Seven's crashes in the pro peloton and how the root cause is bike design, not speeds, aggressive racing, or any of the popular tropes.

carbon rides like wood, quote
Harsh riding makes for difficult handling, control, and recovery, all while increasing rider stress and fatigue. (This is not a photo of Touzé.)

Seven first learned about Touzé's experiences in a cyclingnews.com article.