Cycling to trial yellow cards in races

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Wednesday it will introduce yellow cards to try and improve rider safety.

This season has been overshadowed by some serious crashes which have caused injuries to some of the world's leading cyclists like Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

The idea will come into force on 1 August on a trial basis until 31 December but will be implemented without further punishment.

From 1 January next year, sanctions will be imposed for the accumulation of yellow cards, which are being introduced as part of cycling's SafeR programme.

"The safety of riders is a priority for the UCI, and it was with this in mind that we created SafeR, a structure dedicated to safety, bringing together the main stakeholders in professional road cycling," UCI president David Lappartient said.

"I am convinced that the measures announced today, which are the fruit of the work of this new body and which affect many aspects of the road racing ecosystem, will enable us to make progress towards a safer sport," he added.

The UCI also said it wants to test the effect of riders wearing earpieces during races.

"The measure will be tested in selected professional one-day races and stage races," the body said.

"This decision is based on discussions which led to the conclusion that earpieces could be both a source of distraction for riders and a physical hazard because the radio units are mounted on their backs, and represent a risk when a large number of teams are simultaneously asking their riders to move up to the front of the race," it added.