Fines, Time Penalties, and Jury Report: No Violations in Vuelta a España 2025 Caravan

Overview of Penalties and Incidents in the Vuelta a España 2025

The Vuelta a España is known for its high energy, intense competition, and occasional chaos. Throughout the race, riders and team staff often find themselves on the wrong side of the rules, leading to fines, time penalties, or other disciplinary actions. Below is a detailed look at some of the notable incidents and penalties that have occurred during the first 16 stages of the 2025 edition.

Stage 16: Poio - Mos. Castro de Herville (167.9 km)

This stage saw no official violations reported by the jury. The race remained orderly, with no issues among the riders or members of the race caravan.

Stage 15: Vegadeo - Monforte de Lemos (167.8 km)

No formal jury report was issued, except for the note that Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) received the same finishing time as stage winner Mads Pedersen, despite crashing in the final corner. This was considered a minor consolation, as Sheffield was not competing for the general classification.

Stage 14: Aviles - La Farrapona (134.6 km)

Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon AG2R) was fined 500 Swiss francs for taking food during the final phase of the stage. His sports director, Julien Jurdie, was also fined 1,000 Swiss francs. Additionally, Staune-Mittet received a 20-second time penalty and lost 5 points from the mountain and points classifications.

Stage 13: Cabezón de la Sal - L'Angliru (202.7 km)

Sports directors were the focus of the penalties this stage. Jeroen Blijlevens (Lidl-Trek), Dries Devenyns (Soudal-Quick Step), and Oliver Cookson (INEOS Grenadiers) each received a fine of 200 Swiss francs for not following instructions. A journalist was also banned from attending stages 14 and 15 after allegedly filming on the road in the last two kilometers of the previous stage.

Stage 12: Laredo - Los Corrales de Buelna (144.9 km)

Stefano Zanini, the sports director of XDS-Astana, was penalized for passing through the peloton and providing bidons and food to his riders. He was given a yellow card and fined 500 Swiss francs for disrupting the convoy of cars behind him.

Stage 11: Bilbao - Bilbao (157.4 km)

No official reports were issued for this stage, indicating that the race proceeded without any major infractions.

Stage 10: Sendaviva Nature Park - El Ferial Larra Belagua (175.3 km)

The peloton maintained good behavior throughout the stage, with no penalties issued.

Stage 9: Alfaro - Estación de Esquí de Valdezcaray (195.5 km)

Victor Campenaerts and Oscar Riesebeek were each fined 200 Swiss francs for taking a toilet break in an unauthorized area. A member of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, Hugo Leonardo, was also penalized for incorrect positioning during the feed zone, receiving a yellow card and a fine of 200 Swiss francs.

Stage 8: Monzón Templario – Zaragoza (163.5 km)

Elia Viviani and Bryan Coquard were both relegated after the finish line due to deviating from their lines during the sprint. They were each fined 500 Swiss francs, given a yellow card, and had 8 points deducted from the points classification. A TV motorbike rider was also issued a yellow card for a dangerous overtaking maneuver.

Stage 7: Andorra la Vella - Cerler. Huesca La Magia (188 km)

Lorenzo Fortunato of XDS Astana was fined 200 Swiss francs for not using safety pins to secure his race number. His sports director, Alexandr Shefer, was fined 100 Swiss francs. Several sports directors were also penalized for improper positioning at a feed zone, with Steven De Neef of Intermarché-Wanty receiving the highest fine of 1,000 Swiss francs for ‘invalid assistance.’

Stage 6: Olot - Pal. Andorra (170.3 km)

A Cofidis staff member, Raul Matias, was suspended for three days and fined 500 Swiss francs for driving in the wrong direction during a support vehicle operation.

Stage 5: Figueres - Figueres (24.1 km, team time trial)

Five riders were fined 200 Swiss francs each for modifying or making their race numbers unreadable. Their sports directors were also penalized, with Mickael Laveau of Arkéa-B&B Hotels facing the heaviest fine for three riders. Israel-Premier Tech received a 15-second bonus after being obstructed by demonstrators during the team time trial.

Stage 4: Susa - Voiron (207.0 km)

The peloton behaved well on this stage, with no penalties issued.

Stage 3: San Maurizio Canavese - Ceres (134.0 km)

Jayco AlUla faced penalties for a 'bidon pegado' incident, where rider Eddie Dunbar held onto a bottle too long, resulting in a 200 Swiss franc fine. Team director Stephen Cummings was fined 500 Swiss francs for the same offense.

Stage 2: Alba - Limone Piemonte (159.5 km)

Twelve riders were fined 200 Swiss francs each for modifying their race numbers. Their team directors were also penalized with 100 Swiss francs per offense.

Stage 1: Turin - Novara (186.7 km)

The opening stage was relatively calm, with no penalties issued. However, Hugo de la Calle received a warning for an illegal hand position.