Vuelta 2025: Red, green, dotted & white explained - the regulations for the Tour of Spain

Red jersey

The red jersey (>> e.g. available here) in the Vuelta is the equivalent of the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia. The rider leading the overall standings at the Vuelta receives the red jersey. In other words, the rider with the lowest overall time after adding up all the stages - including bonuses and time penalties.

In the event that two riders finish in the same time, the hundredths of a second from the individual time trials will be used for the classification. If there is still no decision, the positions at the end of the individual stages of the Vuelta are added together - the rider with the lower number wins. If there is still no winner, the position at the finish of the last stage counts.

>> The route of the Tour of Spain 2025

>> The teams' line-ups at a glance

>> The favourites of the Tour of Spain in the TOUR-Check

Time bonuses

On each mass start stage, time credits of 10, 6 and 4 seconds are awarded at the finish for the first three riders in the daily classification. On mass start stages, 6, 4 and 2 seconds are also credited for the first three riders at intermediate sprints or certain mountain classifications.

These bonus seconds are awarded at intermediate sprints on stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, 19 and 21 and at the following mountain classifications:

• Stage 6: Alto de La Comella (2nd category)
• Stage 7: Coll de L'Espina (2nd category)
• Stage 10: Alto de las Coronas (3rd category)
• Stage 11: Alto de Pike (3rd category)
• Stage 12: Collada de Brenes (1st category)
• Stage 13: Alto del Cordal (1st category)
• Stage 16: Alto de Prado (2nd category)
• Stage 20: Puerto de Navacerrada (1st category)

Three or five kilometre rule

With this rule, riders who crash or have a defect in the last three kilometres of a stage are spared on bunch sprint stages. These riders are given the same time as the group they were in at the time of the mishap. The five-kilometre rule has been extended from the usual three kilometres in the 2025 Vuelta for safety reasons and applies on stages 4, 8 and 21. Neither the three-kilometre nor the five-kilometre rule applies on stages 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 20.

Measurement of time intervals

On stages 1, 4, 8, 15, 19 and 21, groups with a gap of up to three seconds will be counted with the same time (see also UCI protocol for stages with expected bunch sprint). On all other stages of the Vuelta 2025, a new time will be taken from one second onwards.

The green jersey

Just like in the Tour de France, the rider leading the points classification in the Vuelta receives the Green jersey is worn. Points can be collected at intermediate sprints and at the finish of each stage.

How does the points classification work at the Vuelta?

Points are awarded to the first 15 riders at the daily finish (with the exception of the team time trial on stage five). Points can also be scored at intermediate sprints. Depending on the type and difficulty of the stage, each stage is assigned to a group from 1 to 6. Accordingly, there are different numbers of points to be scored at the daily finish.

The distribution of points on the stages of the Vuelta 2025

Group 1: Stages 1 and 21

1. 50 points
2. 30 points
3. 20 points
4. 18 points
5. 16 points
6. 14 points
7. 12 points
8. 10 points
9. 8 points
10. 7 points
11. 6 points
12. 5 points
13. 4 points
14. 3 points
15. 2 points

Group 2 and 3: Stages 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15 and 19

1. 30 points
2. 25 points
3. 22 points
4. 19 points
5. 17 points
6. 15 points
7. 13 points
8. 11 points
9. 9 points
10. 7 points
11. 6 points
12. 5 points
13. 4 points
14. 3 points
15. 2 points

Group 4 and 5: Stages 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 20

1. 20 points
2. 17 points
3. 15 points
4. 13 points
5. 11 points
6. 10 points
7. 9 points
8. 8 points
9. 7 points
10. 6 points
11. 5 points
12. 4 points
13. 3 points
14. 2 points
15. 1 point

Group 6: Stage 18 (individual time trial)

1. 20 points
2. 17 points
3. 15 points
4. 13 points
5. 11 points
6. 10 points
7. 9 points
8. 8 points
9. 7 points
10. 6 points
11. 5 points
12. 4 points
13. 3 points
14. 2 points
15. 1 point

Intermediate sprints

There will be an intermediate sprint on every stage of the Vuelta 2025. The first five riders at the intermediate sprint receive points for the green jersey - the points key:

1. 20 points
2. 17 points
3. 15 points
4. 13 points
5. 10 points

The mountain jersey

The jersey for the best climber in the Vuelta has dots on a white background, just like in the Tour de France. However, the dots in the Tour of Spain are blue and not red as in France. The mountain jersey is available z. e.g. at Bobshop.

The jersey is awarded to the rider who has collected the most points on the individual climbs. The climbs are divided into different categories depending on the level of difficulty and sporting prestige. The points for the mountain jersey are awarded accordingly. The highest category - the equivalent of the Hors Catégorie in the Tour de France - in the Tour of Spain is the Cima Alberto Fernandez ("Especial" category). There is only one mountain classification in this category at the Vuelta 2025, on stage 13 at L'Angliru.

The points key for the mountain classification

Category "Cima Alberto Fernandez " - L'Angliru

1. 20 points
2. 15 points
3. 10 points
4. 6 points
5. 4 points
6. 2 points

Special" category

1. 15
2. 10
3. 6
4. 4
5. 2
6. 1

1st category

1. 10 points
2. 6 points
3. 4 points
4. 2 points
5. 1 point

2nd category

1. 5 points
2. 3 points
3. 1 point

3rd category

1. 3 points
2. 2 points
3. 1 point

4th category

1. 2 points
2. 1 point

The white jersey

The White jersey is awarded to the best-placed young rider in the individual overall time classification at the Vuelta. All athletes born after 1 January 2000 will be included in the young pro classification in 2025.

The team ranking

The leading team in the team classification wears red start numbers. To determine the team classification, the riding times of the three best riders of each team are added together.

Most combative driver

The most combative rider of the previous stage wears the yellow back number. A jury of technical directors chaired by the race director selects three riders on each mass start stage to be considered for the prize of the most combative rider. The spectators can then vote for their favourite (by telephone or online). The rider with the most votes wins. In the event of a tie, the race director will decide on the most combative rider of the day. In Madrid, on the last day of the race, the jury will choose the most combative rider of the entire Vuelta.

The time limit at the Vuelta

The maximum gap that a rider can allow himself to be behind the stage winner at the finish of a stage is called the time limit or grace time: depending on the coefficient of a stage (see image below), based on the length, difficulty and pace of the stage winner, a percentage mark-up on the winner's riding time determines how much more time the last riders on a stage are allowed to take - otherwise they risk disqualification.

The coefficients of the Vuelta 2025

The percentage mark-ups for the individual coefficients

Example for calculating the waiting time at the Vuelta

Stage 13 of the Vuelta 2025 serves as an assumption - a difficult day in the mountains with arrival at L'Angliru. Assuming the stage is ridden at an average speed of 38 km/h by the winner, he would need 5 hours and 20 minutes (i.e. 320 minutes - see the table below for calculated average speeds).

The stage has difficulty level 5, which means that at an average speed of 38 km/h, a rider receives 18 per cent of the winning time as a grace period (see diagram of percentage bonuses). In this case, he would therefore receive 18 per cent of 320 minutes (the winning time). That is 57:36 minutes, which would be the time limit on this day.

The calculated average speeds and times of the stages

Stage 1: Start: 13:22, Finish: 47 km/h 17:20, 45 km/h 17:30, 43 km/h 17:42
Stage 2: Start: 13:53, Finish: 46 km/h 17:21, 44 km/h 17:30, 42 km/h 17:40
Stage 3: Start: 14:27, Finish: 46 km/h 17:22, 44 km/h 17:30, 42 km/h 17:39
Stage 4: Start: 11:43, Finish: 43 km/h 16:31, 41 km/h 16:45, 39 km/h 17:01
Stage 5: Start last team: 18:05, estimated finish last team: 18:30
Stage 6: Start: 12:54, finish: 39 km/h 17:16, 37 km/h 17:30, 35 km/h 17:45
Stage 7: Start: 12:17, Finish: 38 km/h 17:13, 36 km/h 17:30, 34 km/h 17:48
Stage 8: Start: 13:52, Finish: 47 km/h 17:20, 45 km/h 17:30, 43 km/h 17:40
Stage 9: Start: 12:37, Finish: 42 km/h 17:16, 40 km/h 17:30, 38 km/h 17:45
Stage 10: Start: 13:08, Finish: 42 km/h 17:18, 40 km/h 17:30, 38 km/h 17:44
Stage 11: Start: 13:51, Finish: 45 km/h 17:20, 43 km/h 17:30, 41 km/h 17:41
Stage 12: Start: 14:13, Finish: 46 km/h 17:22, 44 km/h 17:30, 42 km/h 17:40
Stage 13: Start: 12:10, Finish: 40 km/h 17:14, 38 km/h 17:30, 36 km/h 17:47
Stage 14: Start: 13:50, Finish: 40 km/h 17:13, 38 km/h 17:24, 36 km/h 17:36
Stage 15: Start: 13:12, Finish: 41 km/h 17:17, 39 km/h 17:30, 37 km/h 17:44
Stage 16: Start: 13:12, Finish: 41 km/h 17:17, 39 km/h 17:30, 37 km/h 17:44
Stage 17: Start: 13:41, Finish: 42 km/h 17:00, 40 km/h 17:10, 38 km/h 17:21
Stage 18: Start last rider: 14:12, estimated finish last rider: 14:41
Stage 19: Start: 13:55, finish: 47 km/h 17:21, 45 km/h 17:30, 43 km/h 17:40
Stage 20: Start: 13:10, Finish: 40 km/h 17:17, 38 km/h 17:30, 36 km/h 17:44
Stage 21: Start: 16:44, Finish: 41 km/h 19:22, 39 km/h 19:30, 37 km/h 19:39

Preview of the stages of the Vuelta

• Stage 1
• Stage 2
• Stage 3
• Stage 4
• Stage 5
• Stage 6
• Stage 7
• Stage 8
• Stage 9
• Stage 10
• Stage 11
• Stage 12
• Stage 13
• Stage 14
• Stage 15
• Stage 16
• Stage 17
• Stage 18
• Stage 19
• Stage 20
• Stage 21