The Jerseys of the Tour de France
A Guide to the Different Jerseys of the Tour de France
Jun 19, 2008
The Tour de France has a number of different classifications to be fought for, each with its own jersey to be worn each day by the leader in that particular classification. Here Suite101 provides a guide to these jerseys and what they mean.
Yellow Jersey
Unquestionably this is the most iconic and sought after jersey in all of cycling. The Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France, or maillot jaune, is awarded to the rider with the quickest overall time and therefore sits at the top of the general classification.
It is a jersey steeped in history and cycling lore and with it comes huge responsibility, not only for the individual rider wearing it but also for his team. Not only does the wearer of the yellow jersey become a target for the rest of the peloton and be forced to spend effort in defending the jersey, media interest is also understandably huge and so there are obligations to be met regarding the granting of interviews and giving of press conferences.
For these reasons the favourites for the race very often attempt to avoid getting the jersey themselves, or have anyone else in their team get it, too early in the race as it puts increased and unwanted pressure on the team.
Conversely smaller teams, with no likely overall winner, can consider a season to be successful if just one of their riders can spend a day or two in yellow. Such a performance will result in more than satisfied sponsors.
Winner of the 2007 Yellow Jersey: Alberto Contador (ESP) riding for Discovery Channel.
Green Jersey
The Green Jersey, or maillot vert, is awarded to the leader of the points classification. Along the route of each day's stage there are sprint markers identified and points are awarded to the first three riders through those points. More significantly points are awarded to the first 25 riders over each stage's finish line.
This is a classification for the sprinters, the hard men of the peloton and the number of points awarded on each stage depends on the classification of the stage with more sprint points granted on flat stages (those more likely to end in a sprint) than those classed as mountainous.
Winner of the 2007 Green Jersey: Tom Boonen (BEL) riding for Quick Step – Innergetic.
Polka Dot Jersey
This jersey is for the climbers, the men who can best scale the heights of the tour's route - the mountains that the tour is synonymous with. Because of the stunning landscapes that invariably serve as a backdrop to the wearer of the Polka Dot Jersey, or maillot a pois rouges, it is the most romantic jersey of them all.
Points are awarded at the top of each categorised climb. Climbs are ranked as Category 4, 3, 2, 1 or, for the toughest climbs, beyond (hors) category. Naturally the tougher the climb the more points on offer. The rider with the most climbing points pulls on the Polka Dot Jersey.
Winner of the 2007 Polka Dot Jersey: Juan Maricio Soler (COL) riding for Barloworld.
White Jersey
The White Jersey (maillot blanc) is the final jersey on offer and is simply awarded to the best placed rider in the general classification who was 25 years old or under on 1st January of the current year. It is usually won by up and coming riders and serves as an indication as to who to look out for in the coming years, occasionally though, as in 2007, it can be won by the same rider who also took the yellow jersey.
Winner of the 2007 White Jersey: Alberto Contador (ESP) riding for Discovery Channel.
References: Tour de France Official Website
