Cycling’s yellow card debut: 271 offences in the first full season

Of the 271 yellow cards issued in 2025, 114 went to riders, 46 to team staff, and 53 to sports directors. The remaining offences involved other members of the race convoy, including motorbike pilots, media personnel, TV crews, and race organisers.

Among the riders, 92 penalties were issued in men’s races and 22 in women’s events, a split that broadly reflects the relative size of the two calendars in 2025.

The very first yellow card in cycling history was issued in January to Uno-X sports director Anna Badegruber, who drove too close to the bunch during the Tour Down Under. Later that same week, Danny van Poppel became the first male rider to receive one and would go on to collect three more before the end of the season.

Van Poppel ultimately finished the year as the most penalised rider, collecting yellow cards in the Tour Down Under, UAE Tour, Tour de France and Lidl Deutschland Tour. Behind him, six riders ended the season with two cards: Bryan Coquard, Alexys Brunel, Sandy Dujardin, Cédrine Kerbaol, Axel Zingle and Kaden Groves.

Among the teams, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe led the way with eight yellow cards issued to its riders, making it the most penalised squad of the 2025 season.

Under the UCI’s yellow card regulations, the thresholds are straightforward: two cards in the same race mean disqualification and a seven-day suspension; three within 30 days trigger a 14-day ban; and six within a 12-month period lead to a 30-day suspension. Once a suspension has been served, those cards are removed from the rider’s record.

Each yellow card remains active for 52 weeks from the day it was issued. This rolling-year system means that several riders will start the 2026 season with at least one card still on their record.