Niki Terpstra is convinced that a lot can be done to improve professional cycling. However, the Paris-Roubaix champion is no fan of the International Cycling Union UCI.

Niki Terpstra is not satisfied with the performance of the International Cycling Union UCI. The Dutchman has clear ideas about how the sport can be improved but according to him, it makes no sense to present them to the international union. "It is impossible," he tells Algemeen Dagblad. "The UCI makes so many mistakes. Everything turns into a drama." 

The Paris-Roubaix winner disagrees with the decision to give Astana a WorldTour license. He is also not a fan of the current rules for prize money. "You are lucky if the money is on your account one year after the race. And there is always something taken off the amount. First a few percent, then another few percent. And most of it goes to the UCI. To the union itself or to the riders' union - but they are also part of the UCI. And what do they do for the riders? They are not concerned with our opionions. I think they should shorten the Giro and the Vuelta by one week. And why do I have to rider 200km day in and day out? Shorter races are much more interesting."

Terpstra is also a proponent of smaller teams. In the Tour of Britain, he rode as part of a six-man team. "That was really a different race. It was impossible to have two riders on the front and save six riders for the finale. The good riders had to work a lot earlier. It was interesing to watch."

The Dutchman doesn't want to represent the peloton in discussion withe the UCI. "Maybe at the end of my career or when I hav retired. I have some ideas but often they clash with the ideas of the crowd. I don't want to go into that fight. I focus on my own racing."