Every July, cycling’s biggest spotlight falls on the Tour de France. While the sprints, crashes, mountain battles and solo breakaways each deliver their own drama, the heart of the race lies in the general classification. This is the race within the race – the battle for yellow. And though it may seem complicated at first glance, the GC is ultimately won by the rider who completes the three-week course in the least time. Simple enough, but let’s break down what that actually means in practice.
What is the 2025 Tour de France general classification?
The general classification – or GC – ranks riders by total cumulative time across all stages. The rider who has taken the least amount of time to ride the course, start to finish, is the winner. It’s not about who wins the most stages. A GC winner might not win any. Instead, consistency is key: always finishing near the front, avoiding crashes and time losses, and staying sharp in the mountains, time trials and wind.
Each day’s stage time is added to the running total. At the end of the final stage into Paris, the rider with the lowest time across all 21 stages is the winner.
How can someone win stages but not lead?
This is where many casual fans get caught out. A rider can dominate sprint stages – winning three or four in a single Tour – and still be hours behind on GC. That’s because sprinters tend to lose big chunks of time in the high mountains. On those stages, they ride to survive, not compete. Meanwhile, GC riders might lose the odd second here or there in a sprint finish but gain minutes back on the climbs or time trials.
Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič are classic examples: rarely spotted contesting a flat finish, but ever-present at the front when the gradients tilt upward or the clock is ticking.
Bonus seconds and time gaps
GC isn’t just about raw riding time. Bonus seconds come into play, awarded to the top three finishers on most stages: 10 seconds for the win, 6 for second, and 4 for third. These are subtracted from their overall time and can become decisive in a close race.
Gaps also matter. On flat stages, when the peloton finishes in one tight group, everyone is usually given the same time. But if there’s a visible gap of more than a second, the next group gets a new time. This is why GC riders fight for position late on even the flattest days – any unexpected split could cost precious seconds.
Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/GettyWhat about the yellow jersey?
At the end of each stage, the GC standings are recalculated and the overall leader wears the iconic maillot jaune the next day. Taking the yellow jersey even for a day is a major achievement. Some riders build their season around the chance to wear it early on, especially sprinters who can grab it after a stage 1 win or a team time trial.
But as the race goes on, the yellow jersey typically finds its way to a proper GC contender. From the first summit finish onwards, the hierarchy starts to form, and the real fight for the overall win begins.
Other Tour de France jerseys: not just yellow
Alongside the GC, there are several other classifications:
- Green jersey (points): for consistency in intermediate sprints and stage finishes. Usually a sprinter’s target.
- Polka dot jersey (mountains): points awarded on classified climbs. Suited to aggressive climbers.
- White jersey (young rider): the best GC rider under 25.
- Teams classification: total time of a team’s best three riders each day.
All add their own layers of strategy, especially when a team has multiple goals or riders in contention across different competitions.
Photo Credit: GettyWhy it all matters
GC is a game of precision and attrition. Winning the Tour doesn’t require daily fireworks, just the ability to handle every challenge better than anyone else – from the cobbles to the cols, from high-speed descents to tactical time trials. It’s about survival, seizing opportunity, and eliminating weakness.
And for the rider who manages that for three weeks straight, the final yellow jersey in Paris is more than just a colour. It’s a career-defining reward for mastering the most complete test in road cycling.
