Chris Froome believes cycling's rules need to be changed following complaints that sprints are becoming too dangerous.
Marcel Kittel and Bernhard Eisel both criticised general classification teams after Monday's third stage of the Tour de France for battling sprint teams for position at the front of the peloton at the end of flat stages.
Eisel told cyclingnews.com that the situation was getting "ridiculous", while Kittel suggested on Twitter that the existing 3km rule, which dictates that all times on flat stages are taken with 3km to go, should be extended to 5km.
Team Sky, who are challenging for overall victory and do not have a sprinter at the Tour, have repeatedly positioned themselves at the head of the peloton this week in an attempt to keep Froome on the safe side of any crashes or splits.
Froome understands the criticism but insists Team Sky have no choice and believes the International Cycling Union (UCI) has to intervene.
He said: "My suggestion would be to do away with the one-second rule for the gaps, because that is why all the GC [general classification] guys are up there.
"If we're not there racing for those splits, we're not doing our jobs properly, so of course we're up there with the sprinters.
"It does make for a lot of stress. We don't want to be up there. We want the sprinters to do their thing and not be up there in their way. But when Tour can be won or lost by seconds, we've got to be up there fighting for those seconds.
"Make it a five-second rule so that the splits aren't so easy to come by and it's a bit more relaxed coming into the final."
In separate outburst, Tour leader Sagan criticised fellow riders on Sunday for taking reckless risks and said it was becoming hard to enjoy racing.
Froome sympathises with Sagan but believes desperation is now a feature of cycling.
He said: "That's the nature of our sport. When so much is at stake - a stage win in the Tour means so much to so many people - guys are going to put their bodies on the line for that."
The Tour continues on Wednesday with a rolling, 216km fifth stage from Limoges to Le Lioran. Find out more about the route in a our race guide and follow the stage with our live blog from 12pm BST.