"Something I sincerely regret and apologise for" - Mathieu van der Poel's domestique 'accepts the consequences' of 2nd yellow card

Alpecin-Deceuninck star Oscar Riesebeek wrote himself a piece of unwanted cycling history at the 2025 Baloise Belgium Tour earlier this, as he became the first rider to fall foul of the UCI's new yellow card system. Following his second yellow card, the 32-year-old Dutchman will now be forced to miss his National Championships.

Riesebeek had already received a yellow card earlier in the race on stage 2, before on the final day of the Belgian stage race heading into Brussels, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider found himself in a positioning battle with rivals from the INEOS Grenadiers. However, Riesebeek was not using the road, instead riding on the outside pavement. As he tried to get back into the road he didn't find space and lost control of the bike, crashing at speed and subsequently being forced to abandon the race.

Now, Riesebeek has spoken out and reacted to the news of his second yellow card and a seven-day suspension handed out by the UCI. “I accept the consequences of my actions," he begins in a statement posted to the social media channels of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team. "Of course, it’s disappointing to miss the Nationals, but looking back, I realise my behaviour in the race was not only wrong but also put fellow riders at risk. And that’s something I sincerely regret and apologise for. The rules are clear. If they are applied consistently, I fully respect that. I’ll now take some quiet time to recover and prepare for my next goals.”

Whilst the next goals for Riesebeek aren't named, it's widely expected the Dutchman will be heading to the Tour de France for the first time in his career later this summer, offering up some key domestique work for the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen as Alpecin-Deceuninck fight to win stages.