Tour de France 2023: Should cycling introduce red and yellow cards after Mathieu van der Poel shoulder bump?

Should cycling have a red and yellow card system to encourage riders to take fewer risks?

While Van der Poel was relegated to 22nd place, fined 500 Swiss francs, and docked 11 green jersey points and 13 UCI points, it seemed a small punishment given Philipsen and Alpecin–Deceuninck were left celebrating a second straight win.

Asked how Van der Poel’s relegation would be viewed in the team, Adam Blythe said: “It’s not negative whatsoever.

“A leadout man’s job is to put his sprinter in position. If he gets relegated, what does it matter?

“The UCI have tried to make a point, but ultimately he’s not out of the race, nothing has happened to the winner. It’s almost like ‘Mathieu, you do what you need to do to get your leader into position. It doesn’t matter if you get relegated because we’ve still won the stage’.”

In April, CPA president Adam Hansen, who represents the riders to get their collective voice heard, posted a survey that revealed 100% of those canvassed when in favour of red and yellow cards in cycling.

“Ultimately it’s up to the riders to make it safer themselves,” said Blythe.

“As Mads Pedersen said [after Stage 4], they’ve got brakes, they can ease off in they need to, they can move out the way. But ultimately I don’t think anything will change until there’s a red card, yellow card system.”

Was Van der Poel’s sprint dangerous?

After Philipsen found himself isolated on the home straight on Tuesday, Van der Poel rushed to his aid – albeit by shoulder-bumping Girmay as he fought back to the front to pick up his team-mate.

Robbie McEwen, a 12-time sprint stage winner at the Tour, believed there was nothing wrong with Van der Poel’s manoeuvre.

“I actually liked it. I liked that he made room and that’s what sprinting is, it’s shoulder to shoulder,” said McEwen.

“It was a small bump, just enough to give Girmay the sign that ‘I’m coming through’. Girmay didn’t even complain.

“That is what the sprinting game is and I was surprised to see him relegated to the back of the group. But the UCI have got stricter and stricter on the actions within sprints. And if he does the same thing again, I reckon he’ll be out of the race.”

He added: “If it was me in charge of the jury yesterday, I would have said ‘that was good, let’s move onto the next day’.”

EF Education–EasyPost boss Jonathan Vaughters, who was a special guest on The Breakaway on Wednesday, said the UCI’s ruling was largely about the sport’s image.

“I think the UCI are extremely concerned about the public perception of safety in the sport of cycling and they are trying to make a point,” he said.

“The question is are they actually choosing the right battles or are they not seeing the sport as someone inside the sprint would see the sport?”

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