The official name for this classification is the points classification, but it is often referred to colloquially as the ‘sprint classification’ – the leading rider wears the green jersey. Points are awarded for placings on each stage as well as at intermediate sprints along the route, with flat stages featuring bunch sprints yielding significantly more points than mountain finishes. This is precisely why pure sprinters dominate this classification, rather than climbers or general classification riders. At the end of the Tour, the rider who has collected the most points across all 21 stages is declared the winner.
The choice of bikes depends on the team sponsor. Pedersen rides a Trek for Lidl-Trek, Philipsen rides a Canyon for Alpecin-Premier Tech, and Girmay rides a Scott for the NSN Cycling Team – each riding the brand’s top-of-the-range aerodynamic model.
1st place: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek, 559 points) – Trek Madone SLR
Pedersen relies on the Trek Madone SLR, which has been his team’s standard bike since the last Tour – except for time trials. A striking feature is the opening in the seat tube, which Trek calls ‘Isoflow’. It is designed to improve comfort and aerodynamics. At the start of the 2026 Tour, Lidl-Trek unveiled the exclusive “The First 50 ICON” livery, with which Trek is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The bike is fitted with SRAM Red AXS (48/35 teeth, 10–33 cassette, power metre) and Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 wheels with Pirelli tyres. In the In the TOUR test, the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS (7.1 kg, 13,999 euros) performed poorly in the wind tunnel with 216 watts – coming last in the test field – but impressed with the best rear-end comfort of all the bikes tested. Overall mark: 1.9.
2nd place: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech, 475 points) – Canyon Aeroad CFR
Philipsen rides the Canyon Aeroad CFR, fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Shimano wheels (C50/60) and Pirelli tyres. The lighter Ultimate model remains unused by the team. In the team time trial in Barcelona, he rode the Canyon Speedmax CFR TT, also fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. In the In TOUR wind tunnel tests, the production version of the Aeroad achieved 204 watts, on a par with Pogačar’s Colnago Y1R. A new, limited-edition LTD version with aero handlebars, a single-chainring drivetrain and Continental tyres just manages to dip below the 200-watt mark – but requires SRAM and Conti components and is therefore not compatible with Alpecin’s Shimano setup.
3rd place: Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team, 367 points) – Scott Foil RC
Girmay rides the Scott Foil RC, his team’s only road bike since its rebranding as the successor to Israel-Premier Tech. It remains unclear whether he uses a frame from the more expensive Ultimate range or the more affordable Pro range – both versions have been used in the Tour de France in the past. In the In the TOUR test, the top-of-the-range Foil RC Ultimate model impressed with a performance of 203 watts in the wind tunnel and weighs 6.9 kilos, making it the test winner (score 1.5). The Pro version, which uses a different grade of carbon, weighs slightly more but costs considerably less. Girmay’s bike is fitted with SRAM Red eTap AXS, Zipp 454 NSW wheels, Continental tyres, and a Syncros cockpit and seatpost (Creston iC SL Aero and Duncan SL Aero respectively). For time trials, the team uses the Scott Plasma RC with SRAM Red AXS (1x12), Continental GP5000 TT TR tyres and Zipp wheels (858 NSW at the front, Super-9 at the rear). The time trial bike offers additional stability at high speeds thanks to greater trail and a lower bottom bracket.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
