Cycling
These are the different jerseys worn by riders in the Tour de France
The 2025 Tour de France begins in July with its four emblematic jerseys up for grabs, each one symbols of the different performances that mark this legendary cycling race. Find out what they are here.
Every year, the Tour de France takes over the TV screens of watchers worldwide. It's the third most-watched sporting event on the planet (yes, really) and unlike other major sports events, the Tour boasts distinctive jerseys to identify key participants to viewers throughout the race. Let's take a look at the jerseys that accompany the riders throughout the 21 stages of the Grande Boucle.
The four special Tour de France jerseys are awarded at the end of each stage to the leader of the four corresponding classifications the race has and each jersey has its own storied history and significance, which is all explained below.
01
The yellow jersey
Primož Roglič wearing the yellow jersey
© L'Équipe
The world famous yellow jersey (maillot jaune) rewards the leader of the general classification of the Tour de France after each stage – that's the rider who's currently taken the least time to finish all the stage. At the end of the 2025 race's 21 stages, the yellow jersey will then be presented to the overall winner of the Tour de France.
The jersey didn't exist when the Tour was created and did make an appearance until the 1919 edition. Why the yellow colour? It is a reference to the sports newspaper l'Auto (the former name of famous French daily sports newspaperl'Équipe), which created the Tour de France in 1903. The paper was printed on yellow newsprint, so that colour was naturally given to the overall leaders' jersey.
02
The green jersey
The green jersey is awarded to the leader of the Tour de France's points classification. This is a secondary classification, not based on time, but on the number of points obtained in the stages. Points are awarded for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and the number of points up for grabs each day depends on the classification of the stage – flat, hilly or high mountain. It's primarily regarded as a jersey for the sprinters in the race.
Wout van Aert wears the green jersey during the Tour de France 2023
© Red Bull Content Pool
The green jersey was created in 1953 and owes its colour to the sponsor of the time, the clothing store À la Belle Jardinière, which regularly used green in its advertising campaigns.
As we said, the fight for the green jersey is usually reserved for the sprinters because the flat stages always offer more points than hilly and mountain stages.
03
The polka dot jersey
The polka dot jersey – better known as the King of the Mountains jersey – has been awarded to the best climber and winner of the mountains classification in the Tour de France since 1933 (although the jersey itself has only existed since 1975). The red polka dot design was chosen as a tribute to the great French cycling champion of the 1920s and 30s, Henri Lemoine, who wore the same jersey.
The polka dot jersey brings a smile to your face
© Ouest-France
A certain number of points are awarded for each of the five categories of climb awarded to each hill or mountain on the route, which range from Category 4 (least difficult) to Category 1 and then Hors Categorie (HC), which represents the most challenging of ascents. The tougher the category, the more points are on offer and to more riders. A HC climb sees points awarded to the first eight riders over the summit, while a fourth category climb results in points for just the first rider over the top. Since the 2000s, points have been doubled at the top of certain climbs for various reasons, such as the end of a stage at the top of a HC pass or the last climb of a range.
04
The white jersey
The Maillot Blanche is the jersey for the best young rider in the Tour de France. It rewards the cyclist aged 25 or younger with the best overall ranking. It first appeared in 1975, then disappeared from 1988 to 2000, but is now back.
Tom Pidcock in the white jersey during the 2022 edition
© Sportguide
Now you're ready to impress with your jersey knowledge during the upcoming Tour de France and if you want to know the route and stage breakdown for the 2025 edition, we've put together a guide to what awaits Primož Roglič and the members of the Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe team.