A method to operate a transmitting radio device of a radio communications network is provided, wherein the method comprises: transmitting (102), towards a receiving radio device, first data according to a first transmit mode; determining (104) a last reception time when a positive acknowledgment was received from the receiving radio device, the positive acknowledgement indicating a successful reception of the transmitted first data at the side of the receiving radio device; and transmitting (106), towards the receiving radio device, second data according to a second transmit mode, wherein the second transmit mode is activated upon expiry of a first transmit mode time period since the determined last reception time.