Tour de France 2025: explained – what the yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys mean

Each July, the Tour de France becomes more than just a bike race. It’s a moving theatre of competition, drama and history, structured around four distinctive jerseys – yellow, green, polka dot and white. These signify the leaders in the general classification, points competition, mountains classification and best young rider contest, respectively. They are much more than just coloured kit – each jersey encapsulates a different racing style and demands specific tactical approaches. Here’s a breakdown of what they represent, how they are won, and how the rules shape the racing across France.

The yellow jersey – general classification

The maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, is awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages. It’s the main prize of the Tour de France and represents the overall race leader. Time is measured to the finish line on every stage, then added up over the course of three weeks. The rider with the smallest total is the race’s GC leader and wears yellow the following day.

Time bonuses

On most road stages (excluding time trials), time bonuses are available for the top three finishers:

• 1st place: 10 seconds
• 2nd place: 6 seconds
• 3rd place: 4 seconds

Additionally, bonus seconds are available on pre-selected climbs on stages 1, 2, 5, 12, 14 and 17:

• 1st: 8 seconds
• 2nd: 5 seconds
• 3rd: 2 seconds

These are not awarded on summit finishes and are taken from the rider’s overall time.

Jersey priority

If a rider leads multiple classifications, they wear the highest priority jersey:

1. Yellow (GC)
2. Green (points)
3. Polka dot (mountains)
4. White (young rider)

The next-best rider in any category where the leader already wears a different jersey will inherit the visible jersey for that stage.

Historical context

First introduced in 1919, the yellow jersey owes its colour to the newspaper L’Auto, which printed on yellow paper. Over time it has become a symbol of supremacy in road cycling. Eddy Merckx wore the yellow jersey for 96 stages – a record – while four men (Jacques Anquetil, Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain) have won the overall classification five times.

The green jersey – points classification

The green jersey, or maillot vert, is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points across stage finishes and intermediate sprints. This classification rewards consistency, especially for sprinters, and is calculated using a detailed points system that varies depending on the stage profile.

Points distribution

Stage type	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	…	15th
Flat	50	30	20	18	16	14	12	10	8	7	…	2
Hilly	30	25	22	19	17	15	13	11	9	7	…	2
Mountain & ITT	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	…	1
Intermediate sprints	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	…	1

Note: Points are available for the first 15 riders at the finish and intermediate sprints.

This system heavily favours pure sprinters on flat stages, though all-rounders can challenge by consistently placing high and targeting intermediate sprints.

Origins

First introduced in 1953, the points classification was designed to give fast finishers a goal of their own. The green colour was initially chosen because the sponsor at the time sold lawn mowers. It was briefly changed to red in 1968, then reverted. The current sponsor is Škoda.

Double winners

Occasionally, the same rider wins both the yellow and green jerseys. Eddy Merckx did so in 1969, taking GC, points and mountains – a feat that remains unmatched.

The polka dot jersey – mountains classification

The maillot à pois rouges, or polka dot jersey, is awarded to the leader of the mountains classification. This prize rewards the strongest climbers who consistently perform well on categorised climbs. Climbs are graded according to difficulty, and the first riders to summit each one receive points. Harder climbs offer more points and reward more riders.

Climb categories and points

Climb category	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
Hors Catégorie (HC)	20	15	12	10	8	6	4	2
Category 1	10	8	6	4	2	1
Category 2	5	3	2	1
Category 3	2	1
Category 4	1

• On summit finishes, points are doubled for the final climb.
• Stage 19 in 2025 includes the Souvenir Henri Desgrange at the Col de la Loze, the highest point of the race. Here, additional points (40-30-24-20-16-12-8-4) are awarded to the top eight riders over the summit.

History

The mountains classification was first awarded in 1933. The polka dot jersey itself arrived in 1975. Richard Virenque holds the record with seven wins in this competition. Some years, the polka dot jersey has been won by the overall yellow jersey wearer (as with Tadej Pogačar), though it often goes to breakaway specialists who target climbs specifically.

The white jersey – best young rider classification

The white jersey is awarded to the highest-placed rider in the general classification aged 25 or under on 1st January of the race year. It follows the same time-based rules as the yellow jersey but is restricted to young riders only.

Age eligibility

For the 2025 Tour de France, only riders born on or after 1st January 1999 are eligible. This ensures the competition highlights the next generation of GC riders.

In recent years, the white jersey has often been a stepping stone to overall Tour success. Tadej Pogačar won both the yellow and white jerseys from 2020 to 2022. In earlier years, riders like Jan Ullrich, Andy Schleck and Egan Bernal also won both classifications simultaneously.

History

Though introduced as a standalone classification in 1975, the white jersey wasn’t awarded between 1989 and 1999. It returned in 2000 and has since become a staple, now sponsored by opticians Krys.

Non-jersey classifications

Not all Tour classifications come with a jersey. Two other recognitions are still hotly contested:

• Combativity award: A jury selects the most aggressive or attacking rider of the stage. The next day, that rider wears a red number. A Super Combativity prize is awarded at the end of the Tour for the most attacking rider of the entire race.
• Team classification: Calculated by adding the times of each team’s best three riders on every stage. The leading team wears yellow race numbers (black digits) and, optionally, yellow helmets. Although teams rarely begin the race with this as their primary goal, it becomes a secondary prize once a squad gains an advantage.

These jersey competitions help define the shape of the race. Whether it’s a sprinter sweeping green, a climber targeting polka dots from early breakaways, or a GC hopeful flying in yellow, each classification demands a different skillset and strategy. Over three weeks, they form a race within the race, with every jersey earned the hard way.