Is the green jersey now Pogacar-proof? The changes to the Tour de France points system

In 2025, the winner of a flat stage on the Tour scored 50 points in the green jersey standings, but the tally has been increased to 70 this time around, according to Sporza. The points on offer at the end of mountainous, hilly and time trial stages reportedly remain unchanged.

The 2026 Tour regulations have been distributed to competing teams in recent weeks but not yet made available publicly by organiser ASO. There are seven stages classed as flat on the 2026 route, and therefore with the full complement of 70 points on offer for the winner: stages 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17 and 21.

The second-place finisher on flat stages will receive 50 points rather than the previous 30, while third place is now worth 40 points rather than 20. 

At last October’s route presentation, ASO had already announced the biggest shake-up of the points classification in 15 years when it revealed that the seven flat stages would feature two intermediate sprints rather than one. 

Prior to 2011, Tour stages routinely featured two or even three intermediate sprints, awarding six points to the first rider across the line. That changed in 2011, when ASO introduced the format of one intermediate sprint per stage with 20 points for the first across the line.

The introduction of a second intermediate sprint on flat stages as well as the 20 additional points on offer for the winner creates a sense that ASO are looking to Pogačar-proof the points classification in a bid to ensure he doesn’t carry off all the jerseys at the Tour. 

Twelve months ago, Pogačar won the yellow jersey and the king of the mountains title, but Milan denied him the honour of becoming the first rider since Eddy Merckx in 1969 to sweep the three major classifications at the Tour.

Pogačar placed second in the green jersey standings, 78 points behind Milan. If the new points system were applied to the 2025 Tour, Pogačar would, by Sporza’s reckoning, have gained only 19 additional points, whereas Milan would have collected an extra 80 points.

The world champion is chasing a record-equalling fifth overall victory at the Tour this year, and he has enjoyed an astonishing 2026 season to date, winning Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour de Romandie. Pogačar is currently in action at the Tour de Suisse, where he seized the race lead with a 69km solo victory on the opening stage.

While the new regulations might make it more difficult for Pogačar or another GC contender to fight for green, it might also complicate proceedings for more established green jersey contenders.

Milan will not defend his green jersey in 2026, with Mads Pedersen lining up for Lidl-Trek in his place. The Dane is seeking to complete a full set of points classifications in Grand Tours, and he acknowledged that the extra points on flat stages aren’t entirely in his favour.

“Just a few days ago we got the road book from the Tour, and we’ve seen where they put the intermediates and how many points they put on specific days at the finish lines,” Pedersen told Daniel Benson. 

“I think ASO wanted to make sure that it’s a sprinter who wins the jersey this year, so they put a lot of the intermediate sprints earlier on the stages, or before the big mountains. They’ve put more points on the proper sprint days, and this wasn’t really to my advantage, but I still think that we should try and go for the green jersey and see if it’s possible to win it. I just have to score points where the big sprinters don’t score points.”