The Yellow Jersey
The leader in the Tour de France general classification receives the Yellow jersey, also known as the maillot jaune. This is awarded to the rider who has achieved the fastest overall time, taking into account time bonuses and time penalties.
Time credits
Time bonuses will be awarded at the finish of all stages, with the exception of the time trials on Stages 1 and 16. The first three riders will receive 10, 6 and 4 seconds respectively. The bonus sprints, which took place at key points in the race in previous editions, have been omitted again this year.
If two riders have the same overall time, the hundredths of a second from the time trials are first taken into account to determine the winner. If the tie remains unresolved, the placings at the end of each stage of the Tour de France are totalled; the rider with the lower total wins. If there is still no clear winner after that, the placing at the finish of the final stage will decide the outcome.
Three-kilometre rule
This rule protects riders who crash or suffer a mechanical failure within the last three kilometres. For stages expected to finish with a sprint, this zone may also be extended to 4 or 5 kilometres. These riders are awarded the same time as the group they were in at the time of the incident. However, the rule does not apply to stages that finish with a mountain climb (stages 3, 6, 14, 15, 18, 19 and 20), nor to the time trials (stages 1 and 16).
The Green Jersey
The leader in the points classification at the Tour de France the Green Jersey - though that isn’t necessarily always the fastest sprinter.
The points classification in the Tour de France
The first 15 riders to cross the finish line and those who win the intermediate sprint each receive points. Depending on the type and difficulty of the stage, each stage is assigned a coefficient of between 1 and 7. As a result, the number of points available at the finish varies. Traditionally, and due to the points allocation system which favours victories in flat stages, the winner of this classification is regarded as the Tour’s best sprinter. This year, the points allocation has been adjusted once again to ensure that the riders in this classification definitely have the best chance of winning the Green Jersey.
The points system for the Green Jersey on the stages of the 2026 Tour de France
On stages 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12, which have a coefficient of 1 and are considered to be routes without any difficulties, the points awarded at the finish are 70-50-40-35-30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 points for the first 18 riders.
On stages 4, 13, 17 and 21 – which have a difficulty rating of 2 and are classified as slightly undulating – 50, 30, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 points are awarded to the first 15 riders at the finish.
On stages 2, 3, 9 and 18, which have a coefficient of 3 and are classified as hilly, 30-25-22-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-6-5-4-3-2 points for the first 15 riders.
On stages 6, 10, 14, 15, 19 and 20, which have a coefficient of 4 or 5 and are considered particularly difficult, 30-25-22-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-6-5-4-3-2 points for the first 15 riders.
In the time trials (stages 1 and 16), which have coefficients of 6 and 7, the points awarded at the finish are 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points for the top 15 riders in the stage.
Intermediate sprints
There is an intermediate sprint on every stage of the 2026 Tour de France (except for the individual time trials). The first 14 riders to cross the line at the intermediate sprint will receive points towards the Green Jersey – the points system is as follows: 25-20-16-14-12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
The King of the Mountains jersey
The shirt with red dots on a white background (also Polka-dot jersey) is awarded to the racing driver who has scored the most points in the mountain stages.
The climbs in the Tour de France are classified into categories based on their length, difficulty and sporting significance – ranging from the highest category, HC (Hors Catégorie or ‘Honorary Category’), down to Category 4. Points are awarded according to the category – the classification is as follows:
Hors Catégorie: 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 points for the first eight riders
Category 1: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 point for the first six riders
Category 2: 5, 3, 2, 1 point for the first four riders
Category 3: 2, 1 point for the first two riders
4. Category: 1 point for the first rider
The White Jersey
The White jersey is worn by the young professional rider with the highest position in the Tour de France general classification. In 2026, this category will include all riders born on or after 1 January 2001.
The team standings
The team leading the team classification wears yellow race numbers. To determine the team classification, the times of a team’s top three riders each day are added together.
Most combative rider
The rider deemed the most combative in the previous stage wears two gold race numbers. In the past, the rider was awarded a red race number. On all mass-start stages, with the exception of the final stage, a jury chaired by the race director awards the Prix de la combativité. In Paris, the rider deemed the most combative of the entire Tour (Super-combatif) is honoured.
Best team-mate
Even the best team-mate is now honoured in a separate classification. A jury chaired by the race director determines which rider has acted most selflessly or has gone to the greatest lengths to support his team. This is decided at the end of each week. After the tour, the jury selects a so-called ‘Super Team-mate’, who wins this classification over the course of the entire three weeks.
The jersey rankings
If a rider leads multiple classifications, they must wear the yellow jersey before the green jersey, followed by the polka-dot and white jerseys. The next-placed rider in the respective classification then wears the jersey in their stead.
The time limit (grace period)
The maximum time gap a rider may have at the finish of a stage compared to the stage winner is known as the time limit or grace period. This figure depends on the stage coefficient, which is determined by the route’s length, level of difficulty and the winner’s speed. A percentage bonus added to the winner’s time determines how much extra time is granted to riders who finish behind; if they exceed this limit, they risk disqualification.
The coefficients for the stages of the 2026 Tour de France
Example of how to calculate the qualifying period
A sample calculation will illustrate the point. Let us assume that the gruelling 20th stage of the 2026 Tour de France to Alpe d’Huez is completed by the winner at an average speed of 34 km/h in 5 hours and 2 minutes (i.e. 302 minutes). The coefficient specified for this stage is 5, which means that, at an average speed of 34 km/h, a rider is granted a grace period equivalent to 16 per cent of the winner’s time. The figure of 16 per cent is laid down in the regulations by the organisers (see figure).
In our case, 16 per cent of 302 minutes would be just over 48 minutes, which is how long the grace period would be for this stage. Under certain circumstances, however, the jury may also increase the limit and spare riders from disqualification.
The percentage mark-ups for the individual coefficients
Leon Weidner
Working student
