Soudal-Quick-Step rider James Knox received the first yellow card in the men’s category after the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana. He was penalized for “inappropriate, indecent or dangerous behavior towards spectators.”
What exactly happened? A spectator accompanied the Brit for a while and Knox gave the impression that he wanted to hand him a water bottle. However, he did not hand over the bottle and seemed to be playing with the situation. At some point the camera crew arrived and at that very moment the spectator fell. It is unclear whether the person sustained any injuries.
For this action, Knox received a yellow card, a fine of 200 CHF and a deduction of 10 UCI points. These UCI points are important because they determine which riders and teams can qualify for certain major events.
“A justified sanction,” Wilfried Peeters, team manager at Soudal Quick-Step, told HLN.
The yellow cards are currently still in the testing phase and have virtually no value. However, if they prove valuable in the eyes of the UCI, the card system would be officially introduced as a safety measure from January 1, 2025. From the new season, accumulating too many yellow cards would result in a rider being disqualified from the stage race and having to take a period of time to repent for their inappropriate behavior.
