Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar Team) became the 10th person to receive a yellow card from the UCI for safety rule violations. The Portuguese rider was penalised for a “deviation from the chosen line that obstructs or endangers another rider or irregular sprint” during stage 2 of the Tour of Oman on Sunday.
Guerreiro was initially awarded the same time as the chasing group behind stage winner Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep) after being involved in the incident along with several other riders but was later given the yellow card under the UCI’s new safety measures.
If Guerreiro were to be given a second yellow card on the final Tour of Oman stage on February 12, he would be subject to a seven-day suspension and disqualification from the race.
Movistar rider Ivan Roméo was also given a yellow card over the weekend for shoving Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) off the road during Saturday’s stage of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana.
The Spaniard told Het Nieuwsblad, “I accept the punishment because it is justified. Although these things happen all the time.”
So far this year, the UCI has handed out 11 yellow cards, including three to riders, with Danny van Poppel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) the first at Tour Down Under. Four have been issued to team staff, two to mechanics, and two to other drivers. Ironically, one was driving the safety motorbike at the Volta a Valenciana.
All 11 individuals were allowed to continue in the competitions as all were first offences. A second yellow card only leads to disqualification and suspension within the same race.
Under the rules, a third yellow card received within 30 days will result in a 14-day suspension, while six in a one-year period will result in a 30-day suspension.
