After turning into the first rider to obtain a yellow card underneath the UCI’s new rule on the Tour Down Beneath, Danny van Poppel (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has develop into the primary rider to obtain two yellow playing cards, netting his second on the UAE Tour.
Van Poppel completed eighth on stage 6 into Abu Dhabi Breakwater, however was subsequently penalised for a similar motive he was in January: “Deviation from the chosen line that obstructs or endangers one other rider.” The rider the Dutchman impeded was Arvid de Kleij (Tudor), who gesticulated previous the end line, irritated on the manoeuvre.
Whereas Van Poppel has acquired his second yellow card sanction of the season, he isn’t liable to suspension in any respect, with extra critical punishments solely coming into play if the offender will get yellow carded twice in the identical race or receives three inside a 30-day interval.
Neither apply on this case so it is going to merely be added to Van Poppel’s tally for the yr. If he receives 4 extra (six complete) inside a yr of his first, which he acquired on January 22, he can be suspended for 30 days.
Van Poppel was additionally relegated from eighth to final place in his group – twenty fifth. He was additionally fined 500 CHF.
What do riders and employees consider the brand new rule software in sprinting?
Use of the new yellow card rule has seen 10 riders handed the sanction up to now however probably the most talked about are for deviations in sprints, with inconsistent rulings on relegations in recent times and dash finishes turning into extra harmful a part of the rationale the UCI moved in direction of this new system.
Nevertheless, whereas the brand new system remains to be in its teething interval so to talk, the inconsistency drawback for some might be simply as problematic because it was earlier than.
The most recent race content material, interviews, options, opinions and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“I believe from what I’ve seen up to now, which is Tour Down Beneath and UAE – the races I have been current at, I would not say they have been lax giving out yellow playing cards however there’s most likely been some alternatives the place they might’ve given out extra,” former prime lead-out rider and XDS Astana DS Mark Renshaw informed Cyclingnews.
“Within the Tour Down Beneath, they gave out a number of however there was one rider specifically that in the event that they had been just a little bit stiffer on the foundations, might’ve had three yellow playing cards.
“So it could be teething interval however for me, do I stress to the riders to alter their fashion? No. However they should perceive that the sprints are actually extra watched than ever in order that they need to be right in the best way they’re sprinting.”
Van Poppel himself additionally commented on the rule as the primary rider to obtain one, with no qualms in regards to the one he acquired in Australia and in addition seeing it primarily as a constructive, however equally noting that the consistency with which the rule is used has already been considerably of a problem.
“In fact, one thing needed to change as a result of biking is getting actually harmful. However my frustration level is that I see already some sprints the place they do not give a yellow card [but could have],” Van Poppel informed Cyclingnews earlier than stage 4, talking properly forward of receiving his second.
“So for me, they need to deal with all people the identical and do the proper factor. They punished me in Tour Down Beneath however then you definately see issues in different races and I am sitting on the sofa at residence and it is actually irritating to see that they don’t seem to be constant.
“However we needed to do one thing for security, so it is a good factor. You want an expert ex-sprinter to do this however within the UCI there usually are not actually skilled ex-sprinters in order that’s additionally just a little irritating to see however in the long run, it is OK for me and it is possibly a wake-up name for biking.”
Different sprinters had been much less outspoken, as they don’t seem to be required to alter a lot, if something, with nobody getting down to make a transfer that might be penalised within the first place.
“It is a rule that the UCI implements and look it is also a brand new system so let’s examine what they do with it however yeah we simply need to adapt as riders,” Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) informed Cyclingnews earlier than stage 5.
The Belgian was relegated on stage 1 of the UAE Tour for “Deviation from the chosen line that obstructs” however did not obtain a yellow card because the decrease pace incident did not “endanger” Finn Fisher-Black, the rider he impeded.
De Kleijn gave his opinion to Cyclingnews forward of stage 4: “I believe it will not change that a lot however I believe it is a good system to flag issues down that aren’t allowed. However for now, it will not change an excessive amount of.”
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) additionally answered diplomatically when the brand new ruling was introduced up in his stage 1 winner’s press convention, “Like at all times in the long run, all the fellows within the group are by no means attempting to make ‘unhealthy strikes’ and so we’re not trying to take yellow playing cards or pink playing cards.
“We try to method it in one of the best ways we are able to like at all times after which it is as much as the jury whether or not or not they resolve one thing.”