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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jeremy Whittle in Lille

The Tour de France’s version of VAR? Get ready for yellow card controversy

Large group of cyclists ride through a small village
The peloton, seen here during stage 13 of last year’s Tour de France, will be subject to much greater surveillance and scrutiny. Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images

The 2025 Tour de France could see yellow cards issued for bad behaviour by riders thanks to cycling’s answer to football’s VAR. Every touch of shoulders, switch of wheels, dramatic acceleration and multilingual insult in the peloton will be scrutinised by a growing number of in-race cameras and UCI commissaires.

As part of the UCI’s bid to expand its repertoire of disciplinary and investigative tools, cards can be awarded for everything from celebrating a teammate’s win to riding on the pavement. The card system was trialled last year and is now being integrated into World Tour racing.

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