Michael Rasmussen points out at loopholes at UCI's new yellow cards and that riders "can take advantage of" some uncertainties

There was a lot of talk after the eleventh stage of Vuelta a Espana, where the race jury decided to distribute yellow cards to three Decathlon AG2R riders who tried to block the road after a breakaway had pretty much established, but due to their actions, Richard Carapaz who wanted to make a late attempt to cross to the front along a teammate, was sent off the road and crashed. While the ruling was completely in line with UCI guidelines, there are still mixed feelings about the yellow cards.

"They are groping a bit blindly, I think. Immediately, I do not think that there is a need for more regulations and more rubber rules," says Michael Rasmussen as Ekstra Bladet's expert. He believes that the commissaries should take action in any case of misconduct - yellow card or not. "It sounds like something unnecessary. After all, the offenses have been punished until now."

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Rasmussen doesn't see the addition of yellow cards a game-breaker that would make the racing very safer. "For example, Gianni Moscon has been thrown out of the Tour for hitting people or trying to run them off the road, or whatever crazy streaks it may have been."

It's quite clear that misconducts such as those of Decathlon AG2R riders' action against Richard Carapaz will be penalized with a card. But so are other various such as littering outside designated areas or using prohobited rider positions on the bike, such as the supertuck in the descent which was previously resulting in a direct disqualification. The last part bothers Rasmussen "because it is something you can take advantage of."

"If you go down in the supertuck position, and you know that it is an advantage, but that it only triggers a yellow card, then you can play with the idea of ​​exploiting it. It's a strange thought to play with: 'We have room to take someone like that on the way down the Galibier, because the shit is on fire.' I don't know if the UCI has thought about it. Otherwise, at least they have to deal with it as well."

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