Tour de France jerseys explained: Yellow, green, polka dot and white

Across 21 stages, riders compete for four distinctive jerseys that recognise excellence in the general classification, sprinting, climbing and young rider standings. Here is how each jersey is awarded and what it takes to wear one.

The yellow jersey is awarded to the leader of the general classification, but there are three other jerseys on offer at the Tour de France – the green jersey for the points classification, the polka dot jersey for the king of the mountains classification and the white jersey for the best young rider classification.

Read our explainer to understand how the jerseys of the Tour de France are awarded and won. 

The yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, is awarded to the rider who leads the general classification - ie. the rider who has completed the course to that point in the shortest aggregate time. 

Although the Tour de France began in 1903, the idea of a distinctive race leader’s jersey was only implemented in 1919. Tour founder Henri Desgrange decreed that the race leader should be distinguishable to crowds on the roadside. Yellow was chosen as L’Auto, the organising newspaper, was also published on yellow pages at the time. 

Eugene Christophe is officially the first rider to don the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, though three-time winner Philippe Thys claimed that he had declined Desgrange’s request to wear a yellow jersey back in 1913.

The yellow jersey quickly established itself as cycling’s greatest prize – “a symbol of excellence, prestige and victory,” per Tour de France organiser ASO – and a single day in the garment can be the defining moment of a rider’s entire career.

Eddy Merckx has the record for most days in the yellow jersey, with 96, while fellow five-time winner Bernard Hinault is second on 75 days. In the current peloton, Tadej Pogačar (54) has the most days in the yellow jersey, while Jonas Vingegaard has enjoyed 27 days in the jersey.

Bernard Hinault has the distinction of wearing the yellow jersey in eight different Tours – ie. in every Tour in which he competed – while Fabian Cancellara (29) has the record for most days in the yellow jersey without winning the overall title.

In 2026, time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three riders on each road stage. This time is removed from the riders’ aggregate overall times. The yellow jersey is manufactured by Santini and sponsored by LCL, while the letters ‘HD’ in honour of Henri Desgrange are placed near the hem.

The green jersey or maillot vert is awarded to the rider who leads the points classification each day. The points classification is calculated by awarding points to riders based on their finishing position on each stage, while there are additional points on offer at the intermediate sprint on each road stage.

The points on offer vary according to the terrain, with more points awarded on flat stages (50 for the winner) than on hilly and mountainous days (20 for the winner). This weighted points system has more often than not made the green jersey a target for the sprinters, though all-rounders have also carried the maillot vert to Paris over the years.

The points classification and its green jersey were introduced on the Tour’s 50th anniversary in 1953, with the colour chosen for sponsor La Belle Jardinière. Fritz Schär was the inaugural winner. Sean Kelly became the first rider to win four green jerseys in 1989, but he was passed by Erik Zabel, who went on to wear green in Paris on six occasions.

Peter Sagan is the current record holder in the classification, as he won the green jersey seven times between 2012 and 2019. Sagan also has the record for most days in the green jersey (130) ahead of Zabel (89).

The green jersey is produced by Santini and sponsored by Škoda. Its traditional bright green was replaced by a darker shade ahead of the 2023 Tour de France. In 2024, Biniam Girmay became the first African rider to win a Tour de France classification when he secured the green jersey in Nice. He was succeeded in 2025 by Lidl-Trek sprinter Jonathan Milan.

The points classification has been adjusted for 2026, with selected sprint stages offering 70 points to the winner, followed by 50 and 40 points for second and third. Other stages continue to use lower points scales depending on their profile. Combined with the points available at the intermediate sprint on each road stage, the revised system gives sprinters more opportunities to build a lead in the classification.

The changes appear designed to make it harder for general classification contenders such as Tadej Pogačar to challenge for the green jersey, although Mads Pedersen, who replaces Milan as Lidl-Trek’s leading sprinter, believes the new system may favour the purest sprinters more than versatile riders like himself.

The king of the mountains classification – Grand Prix de la Montagne in French – is calculated by awarding points to the first riders to the summit of selected climbs along the route of the Tour de France. The leader is awarded the polka dot jersey, or maillot à pois.

Mountain points are awarded on every classified climb in the race, and the climbs are divided into five distinct categories, ranging from the easiest category 4 hills to the toughest hors catégorie (‘beyond category’) mountain passes.

In the event of a tie, the classification is decided by the number of first place finishes on hors catégorie climbs, followed by category 1, category 2, category 3 and category 4 climbs. If the riders remain level, their position in the general classification acts as the final tie breaker.

In the early years of the Tour de France, the organising newspaper L’Auto awarded the honorific of Meilleur grimpeur to the best climber in the race. The king of the mountains classification as we know it today began only in 1933, with Vicent Trueba picking up the most points.

The distinctive polka dot jersey was introduced only in 1975 at the behest of sponsor Chocolat Poulain. Tour de France co-director Felix Levitan chose this colour scheme in honour of pre-war track rider Henri Lemoine.

Richard Virenque holds the record for the most king of the mountains titles with seven, claimed between 1994 and 2004, while Lucien Van Impe and Federico Bahamontes won the classification six times apiece. Virenque has the record for most days in the polka dot jersey with 96.

Eight riders have won the Tour de France and mountains classification in the same year, with Tadej Pogačar the most recent to achieve the feat in 2025.

For 2026, the points allocated to each category of climb are as follows:

Hors catégorie: 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points

First category: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point

Second category: 5, 3, 2 and 1 point

Third category: 2 and 1 point

Fourth category: 1 point

Unlike in previous editions, the 2026 regulations do not provide for double points on the Tour’s highest climb. The first rider to the summit of the Col du Galibier during stage 20 will receive the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, together with a €5,000 prize. The standard points scale for the climb’s category will apply.

The white jersey or maillot blanc, is awarded to the best ranked rider under the age of 25 each day on the Tour de France. In 2026, the competition is open to riders born from January 1, 2001 onwards.

The classification was first introduced to the Tour de France in 1975, with Francesco Moser the winner of the white jersey in his one and only appearance in the race. In 1983, Laurent Fignon became the first rider to win both the Tour de France itself and the best young rider classification in the same year. The feat has since been repeated by Jan Ullrich (1997), Alberto Contador (2007), Andy Schleck (2010), Egan Bernal (2019) and Tadej Pogačar (2020, 2021).

The white jersey was not awarded between 1989 and 1999, though the best young rider classification remained a fixture on the Tour. The maillot blanc was reintroduced at the turn of the millennium.

Pogačar holds the record for most victories in the category (four), having carried the white jersey to Paris in 2022 and 2023 while finishing second overall at the Tour de France. Pogačar also holds the record for most days leading the classification, with 75. The Slovenian led the classification from start to finish for three straight Tours in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Ullrich has the second most days in the lead on 55, though the German never wore the white jersey as his three wins in the classification came between 1996 and 1998.

Remco Evenepoel claimed the white jersey on his Tour de France debut in 2024, before his current Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz succeeded him as winner of the classification a year later.

The white jersey is produced by Santini and sponsored by optical lens manufacturer Krys. 

There are two additional Tour de France competitions for which jerseys are not awarded. The team classification is calculated by adding the times of the three highest-placed riders from each team in each stage. 

The leading team in the classification wears yellow race numbers and they also have the right to wear yellow helmets, though they are not obliged to do so. The team classification has been in existence since 1930. Between 1973 and 1989, there was an additional team points classification.

On each road stage of the Tour de France, the combativity award is presented to the rider deemed to have displayed the greatest fighting spirit. The winning rider wears a red race number on the following stage. At the end of the Tour de France, an overall ‘Super Combativity’ prize is awarded to the rider judged to have been the most aggressive of the entire race. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) was given the honour in 2025.