Tour Xtra

The Green Jersey

Calculation 2009

In every stage, the first finishers are awarded points for the Points Classification. The stages are devided in several stage types: individual time trials, flat stages, semi-mountainous stages and mountainous stages (see table below). In the intermediate sprints, the first three riders receive 6, 4 and 2 points.

 

A rider has to fulfil the Tour completely in order to be ranked in the Final Points Classification.

 

Type I = flat stages; Type II = semi-mountainous stages; Type III = mountainous stages; Type IV = individual time trials

Most Green Jersey wins per rider

1 Erik Zabel (Ger)

2 Sean Kelly (Irl)

3 Jan Janssen (Ned)

— Eddy Merckx (Bel)

— Freddy Maertens (Bel)

— Dzamolidine Abduzhaparov (Uzb)

— Robbie McEwen (Aus)

8 Stan Ockers (Bel)

— Jean Graczyk (Fra)

— André Darrigade (Fra)

— Laurent Jalabert (Fra)

— Thor Hushovd (Nor)

6

4

3

3

3

3

3

2*

2

2

2

2

1996-1997-1998-1999-2000-2001

1982-1983-1985-1989

1964-1965-1967

1969-1971-1972

1976-1978-1981

1991-1993-1994

2002-2004-2006

1955-1956

1958-1960

1959-1961

1992-1995

2005-2009

Type I

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Points

 

- 35

- 30

- 26

- 24

- 22

- 20

- 19

- 18

- 17

- 16

- 15

- 14

- 13

- 12

- 11

- 10

- 9

- 8

- 7

- 6

- 5

- 4

- 3

- 2

- 1

Type II

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Points

 

- 25

- 22

- 20

- 18

- 16

- 15

- 14

- 13

- 12

- 11

- 10

- 9

- 8

- 7

- 6

- 5

- 4

- 3

- 2

- 1

Type III

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Points

 

- 20

- 17

- 15

- 13

- 12

- 10

- 9

- 8

- 7

- 6

- 5

- 4

- 3

- 2

- 1

History

In 1953, the Tour directors decided to mark the leader in the Points Classification with a Green Jersey. According to the Tour organisation, green is the color of hope. However, in 1968 the jersey was red, in order to please that year’s sponsor of the Points Classification.

 

The first keeper of the Green Jersey was Swiss all-rounder Fritz Schär, who also brought the jersey home at the end of that year’s Tour. As Schär wore the Yellow Jersey after the first stage in 1953, the first rider to wear the Green Jersey was the number two of the Points Classification, Dutchman Wout Wagtmans.

 

Earlier in the history of the Tour de France, the General Classification was decided via a points system. This was the case from 1905-1912. In those years, the winner of each stage received one point, the second one two, et cetera. The rider with the least points thus won the Tour. In the period 1953-1958, a similar system was used in the Points Classification.

 

Winners 1953-2009

For a full list of all Green Jersey winners, click here.

The jury is also allowed to detract points after proofs of cheating, for example being pushed by others or taking food in zones where such an act is prohibited. The usual penalties are 5, 10 or 15 points or even more, depending on the degree of the “crime”.

Type IV

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Points

 

- 15

- 12

- 10

- 8

- 6

- 5

- 4

- 3

- 2

- 1

Xtra Index | Yellow | Polka Dot | White | Team | Combativity/Intermediate Sprints | Others

Time Trials | Rider Records | Tour Records | Other Trivia

Xtra Index

 

Yellow Jersey

Polka Dot Jersey

White Jersey

General Team

Combativity/

Interm. Sprints

Others

 

Time Trials

Rider Records

Tour Records

Other Trivia

* Including his four wins in the unofficial points classifications run in the years 1947-1952, Stan Ockers would equal the amount of six wins – see winners list (thanks to Wim Van Goidsenhoven for this info).