Similar to football, yellow cards will soon be handed out as a warning in road cycling for rule violations. The world cycling association UCI wants to test this set of rules from 1 August until the end of the 2024 season. In the new 2025 season, yellow cards will be included in a stricter set of rules. If a rider receives several yellow cards, suspensions may occur.
The cards are not shown during the races but are noted in the race communiqué after the races. All race participants, drivers, sports directors, team bosses and photographers on the accompanying motorcycles can be given yellow cards. “The system aims to make all of these people more responsible by monitoring bad behavior over time and thus promoting respectful behavior,” said the UCI in its statement.
In the past, the UCI has always considered rider safety to be its top priority. Numerous measures have already been implemented, such as reducing the number of riders in Grand Tours and reducing the number of support vehicles. Despite this, serious accidents have occurred time and again. This season, the Tour of the Basque Country was particularly affected. Some of the best-known names in cycling were injured there, some seriously, including Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, Olympic time trial champion Primoz Roglic and ITT world champion Remco Evenpoel. Most recently, there was also a serious mass crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné, which resulted in numerous professional cyclists having to give up. The stage had to be canceled.
Beyond the now planed cards, the current penalty rules with fines, penalty points in the UCI ranking and disqualification are to be retained. The introduction of red cards is therefore not planned.
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From 1 January 2025, the card system will be binding for all competitions in the WorldTour, the ProSeries, at world championships, continental championships and the Olympic Games.
The penalties are staggered. Two yellow cards in a one-day race or in a stage race mean disqualification and a seven-day suspension that begins one day after the last yellow card. Three yellow cards within 30 days lead to a 14-day suspension. Six yellow cards in a one-year period will result in the maximum penalty of 30 days suspension.
Further measures are planned. The UCI also wants to restrict the use of radios. Riders would be distracted by using the radio and this poses a physical danger in the field, it said. The UCI can imagine that only a maximum of two riders from each team would have a radio connection to the sports director.
Mass sprint finishes are also a source of danger. The UCI also wants to tighten up on this. In certain races, the three-kilometre rule is to be extended to 5 kilometres after consultation, so that fewer riders are involved in the final of a race and the GC riders can reach the finish at a distance and without the risk of losing time.
“With these measures, we can develop into a safer sport,” said UCI President David Lappartient.