The Tour de France looks so colorfully chaotic that it’s almost psychedelic when the peloton filled with bright, splashy jerseys whooshes by in the blink of an eye. All the pro cyclists racing the Tour wear their team jerseys, which are covered in the names of the team and all the sponsors, and are designed to be as bright, recognizable, and eye-catching as possible.
However, throughout the race, four cyclists are awarded different, special colored jerseys that are unique to the Tour de France. These colors include yellow (maillot jaune), green (maillot vert), red polka dots (maillot à pois rouges), and white (maillot blanc).
Each one of these jerseys has its own meaning and importance. The rider wearing each of these jerseys can change at the end of every stage, and often does, with the special jersey changing hands before the next day’s stage begins.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what each Tour de France jersey color means and how a rider can win each one.
Yellow Tour de France Jersey
For most, the race’s fabled yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, stands above all else, as it designates the rider who leads the General Classification. After each stage, officials calculate who has the fastest time across the entire race and the jersey then goes to the overall leader. That rider wears it in the following stage.
Because it’s based on time and not points, the yellow doesn’t necessarily go to the given day’s stage winner, but rather the leader of the race overall.
Contenders for the yellow jersey—and, therefore, the overall Tour de France title—are well-rounded cyclists and smart tacticians with skills in both climbing and time trialling. They must also show enough strength to hold the pace of the peloton, especially as rival teams work together to drop the leader at every possible opportunity.
Past 5 Yellow Jersey Winners:
➡ 2023: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo–Visma)
➡ 2022: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo–Visma)
➡ 2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2020: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2019: Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)
Here's how the Tour’s yellow jersey gets made during the race:
Green Tour de France Jersey
While known as the “sprinter’s jersey,” the green jersey goes to the leader of the Points Classification. The amount of points given depends on the stage profile—whether it’s flat or mountainous, for example. Typically, the winners are the first 10 to 25 riders who cross a stage finish, because the most points are traditionally gained at the end of the flatter stages (where the sprinters shine).
Ultimately, the green goes to a well-rounded and consistent rider, as well as to those who show tremendous persistence, picking up points where they can.
Past 5 Green Jersey Winners:
➡ 2023: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceuninck)
➡ 2022: Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma)
➡ 2021: Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
➡ 2020: Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
➡ 2019: Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe)
Red Polka Dot Tour de France Jersey
The polka dot jersey goes to the leader of the Mountains Classification, otherwise known as King of the Mountains. Points in this contest are awarded to the first riders who reach the summit of designated climbs on each stage.
Tour de France climbs are ranked from category 1 (most difficult) to category 4 (least difficult). A fifth class, hors catégorie (“beyond category”), is reserved for the most challenging ascents. The amount of points awarded depends on the difficulty of each climb, though sometimes shorter or milder climbs will join a higher category if they come at the end of a stage.
Of course, the rider in polka dots must be a strong climber. Often, it goes to small, lightweight guys with very high power outputs. The KoM competition comes into its own once the race heads into the mountain stages, where most points are available.
Past 5 Polka Dot Jersey Winners:
➡ 2023: Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
➡ 2022: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo–Visma)
➡ 2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2020: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2019: Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)
White Tour de France Jersey
The white jersey, or maillot blanc, goes to the General Classification leader who is 26 years old or younger (on January 1 in the given race year). Put simply, it goes to the best young rider with the lowest overall time. For young, ambitious all-rounders in the race, winning the white jersey is like winning yellow.
Past 5 White Jersey Winners:
➡ 2023: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2022: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2020: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
➡ 2019: Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)
Other Tour de France Awards
Two other classifications exist that are not awarded with a special jersey: the Combativity Award and the Team Classification.
Although largely a token prize, Combativity Award winners still get a podium appearance when the race wraps up in Paris. After every stage, excluding time trials, a panel decides the day’s most aggressive rider. Not necessarily the stage winner, it could be someone who has consistently attacked, instigated a breakaway, or been a key player in the stage outcome.
This rider then wears a red race number (instead of black) in the following day’s stage. A Super Combativity Award is given on the final stage for the most aggressive rider throughout the entire Tour.
The Team Classification is based on the collective time of the three highest-placed riders in the General Classification from each team. The best team then wears its race numbers against a yellow background, rather than a conventional white background, and also has the option of wearing yellow helmets.
