Second yellow card, but no immediate punishment awaits Danny van Poppel after another sprint deviation
Cycling
Among all riders in the peloton, Danny van Poppel is currently the one closest to get a taste of the new yellow cards system. From the start of 2025, riders may be sanctioned after racking up certain amount yellow cards over a longer period of time.
Van Poppel was awarded his first yellow cards of the season in the second stage of Tour Down Under a month ago. The Dutch leadout man was also relegated in the stage results for his move with which he most notably hindered Tobias Lund Andresen after finishing his work of setting up Sam Welsford. A small price to pay for a stage win?
On Saturday, Van Poppel was once again sanctioned for almost crashing out Tudor Pro Cycling's sprinter Arvid de Kleijn in the final. Van Poppel's compatriot narrowly managed to keep control of his bike at a cost of a significant loss of momentum. Interestingly, the Dutchman made another contact with Jasper Philipsen later in the sprint run-up, but the Belgian wasn't punished for closing De Kleijn.
Two yellow cards, yet no red card
Back to Van Poppel, after two yellow cards within a short period, you would expect a punishment. But the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider is in no imminent danger of a suspension for the time being. According to the rules, there is no special punishment for scoring two yellow cards within 30 days.
Small reminder of the new rule (you can read more on the topic in our previous articles):
- Two yellow cards in the same event = DQ + 7-day suspension
- Three yellow cards in the span of 30 days = 14-day suspension
- Six yellow cards in the span of 365 days = 30-day suspension
Van Poppel still shouldn't take the yellow cards lightly because as a key leadout rider, he'll often get caught in fierce battles for his sprinter and the threat of one-month ban is not very plausible, to say the least. Therefore he should try to keep himself away from being involved in any more incidents as the six-yellow-card suspension is not so distant anymore.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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