UCI Race Jury Cracks Down After Elbows Fly at Vuelta a España

Matthew Brennan won his second stage of the Vuelta a España on Wednesday, but the UCI race jury was also busy after some argy-bargy in a frantic sprint finale.

Tempers — and elbows — were flying in the intense battle for position in the stage, and the sprint police came down on Alexey Lutsenko (NSN Cycling) and Orluis Aular (Movistar).

Both riders received yellow cards for dangerous moves in the final charge to the line.

Lutsenko appeared to be trying to set up NSN teammate Hugo Hofstetter, who kicked to 13th, in the frantic run to the line when things got a little too physical.

Lutsenko was cited for deviating from his line and endangering another rider with what the jury described as a “blow from the elbow.” He received a yellow card but escaped further punishment.

Aular got hit harder after the jury ruled that he obstructed and endangered another rider, also citing a golpe de codo —  “blow from the elbow.”

The Venezuelan was relegated from sixth place to 86th.

The Movistar rider was also fined 500 Swiss francs and docked eight points in the points classification, and handed a yellow card.

The UCI introduced the yellow-card system in 2025 as part of a wider push to crack down on dangerous racing.

Not staying in your lane — and throwing elbows — is cause for infractions.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sport director Sven Vanthourenhout was also cited under the UCI’s littering rules for disposing of waste or another object outside the designated litter zones and fined 500CHF.