Yellow cards system goes live from January: Repeated sinners can fear up to one-month racing bans
Cycling
It's official. The discussed yellow card system will come into effect as early as from the first race next year. The race jury will now have the option to figuratively show yellow cards to riders who conduct unfair, dangerous or violent moves during their race.
While there is no red card for accumulating multiple yellow cards, riders who repeatedly break the code will be awarded with bans of varying length up to full month out of competition. This comes on top of financial penalties and riders still may be disqualified directly for gross violations.
From June 2024, the system has been tested and first cards have been handed, albeit no sanctions have followed as far. From the first race of next year, based on articles 2.12.003bis and 2.12.007 of the rules of the International Cycling Union, the sanctions will be operational and displayed in a conspicuous manner as well as communicated via radio to the caravan.
The sanctions system will use the reports of the race stewards and those in charge of the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) at the finish line and may also act after the end of the race for behaviors detected subsequently (even following a complaint or indication from third parties) and in any case for what happens during the sprint.
- Anyone who receives two yellow cards during the same (stage) race will be disqualified from the competition and suspended for 7 days, starting from the day after receiving the second yellow card.
- Anyone who receives three yellow cards in a period of 30 days will be suspended for 14 days, starting from the day after receiving the third yellow card.
- Anyone who receives six yellow cards in a period of one year will be suspended for 30 days, starting from the day after receiving the sixth yellow card.
The decision was communicated on Friday in Riva del Garda by the president of the International Cycling Union David Lappartient.
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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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