In 2025, the cycling peloton faced yellow cards for the first time. Now that the final road race of the season has officially concluded, it’s time to review the impact. Because: how often were these yellow cards actually needed? In 2025, the ‘yellow’ was issued no less than 271 times.
The very first yellow card in cycling history was handed out in January to Uno-X team director Anna Badegruber, who rode too close to the peloton and was penalised for it. In the same Tour Down Under—but among the men—Danny van Poppel became the first male cyclist to receive a yellow card.
Van Poppel would soon also become the first rider to receive two yellow cards. Exactly one month after his caution at the Tour Down Under, the Dutch national champion got another at the UAE Tour. Having also been penalised during the Tour de France and the Lidl Deutschland Tour, Van Poppel is the 2025 king of yellow cards with four in total.
Behind Van Poppel, seven riders earned two yellow cards each. This group includes Dutchman Oscar Riesebeek, as well as Axel Zingle, Kaden Groves, Bryan Coquard, and Alexys Brunel. The queen of yellow cards is Cédrine Kerbaol, who was penalized after Milan-San Remo and at La Vuelta Femenina.
Looking at the teams, the men’s Movistar squad leads the way. The WorldTour outfit was handed ten yellow cards in 2025.
Suspension
Despite the 271 yellow cards issued, only one rider was suspended in 2025; that dubious distinction went to Oscar Riesebeek. He picked up two yellow cards during the Baloise Belgium Tour, resulting in a suspension for the National Championships a few days later.
To be suspended, a rider must receive two yellow cards in the same one-day race or stage race. If that happens, a seven-day suspension follows. Three yellow cards within 30 days lead to a 14-day suspension. Six yellow cards in one year result in a suspension of one month.
