Poach cycling ducks (5)

I believe the answer is:

teals

'ducks' is the definition.
(teal is a kind of duck)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Another definition for teals that I've seen is " Small ducks".)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.