Green jersey

In road bicycle racing, and in the Grand Tour stage races in particular, the Green jersey is the name given to a distinctive racing jersey worn by the leader in a subsidiary competition.

For example, while the overall race leader in the Tour de France will wear the yellow jersey, or "maillot jaune", the green jersey ("maillot vert") will be worn by the leader in the points competition.

In the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España however, the green jersey is worn by the King of the Mountains, the leader in the competition for climbing specialists.

Classification Guide

Green Jersey as General Classification Leader

The following events use the "green jersey" to signify the current leader and/or final winner of the overall classification by time (often known as the general classification):

("incomplete listing")
* To Be Determined

Green Jersey as Points Competition Leader

The following events use the "green jersey" to signify the current leader and/or final winner of the overall classification by points (often known as the sprinters competition):

("incomplete listing")
* Tour de France (known as the "maillot vert")
* Dauphiné Libéré
* Tour de l'Avenir
* Tour de Georgia
* Tour of Ireland

Green Jersey as Mountains Competition Leader

The following events use the "green jersey" to signify the current leader and/or final winner of the overall classification of the best climber (often known as the King of the Mountains competition):

("incomplete listing")
* Giro d'Italia ("Italian": known as the maglia verde)
* Tour de Pologne ("Polish": known as the "najlepszy góral" or "Klasyfikacja Górska")
* Vuelta a España

Maillot vert

The maillot vert (French for green jersey) is the jersey worn by the leader of the Tour de France's points classification. It was introduced for the 1953 Tour de France to complement the existing Maillot jaune (French for yellow jersey), which distinguished the overall leader. The color green was chosen because the sponsor was a lawn mower producer, although in 1968 the jersey was red, to please the sponsor [http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/eddy/green.htm] .

In the first years, the cyclist only received penalty points for not finishing with a high place, so the cyclist with the least points was awarded the green jersey. From 1959 on, the system was changed so the cyclists were awarded points for high place finishes (with first place getting the most points, and lower placings getting successively fewer points), so the cyclist with the most points was awarded the green jersey.

Whereas the yellow jersey is awarded for the lowest cumulative time in the race, the green jersey reflects points gained for high placings on each stage and intermediate "hot spots," especially during the flat stages of the Tour. It is widely thought of as the "sprinter's competition," since the riders generally remain together in one large "peloton" during flat stages, leaving those with the fastest acceleration at the end to fight for the stage win. The intermediate sprints were formerly for an additional red jersey, with the points for the green a 'side-effect'; however, this was later scrapped, and they are now part of the green jersey competition.

Like all classification jerseys in the Tour, the "maillot vert" is made by American sportswear giant Nike. It has been sponsored by PMU, the French national parimutuel betting scheme, since 1991.

Riders can lose points for various infractions to the rules, which means some riders finish the Tour with a negative points tally. [cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=features/FAQ |title=Le Tour 101 |accessdate=2007-08-01 |work=cyclingnews.com]

Currently, the green jersey classification is calculated by adding up the points collected in the stage and subtracting penalty points. Points are rewarded for the first cyclists to cross the finish-line or the intermediate sprint line, and for the cyclists with the fastest times in the prologue or individual time trials, according to the following scheme [cite web|url=http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/docs/reglement_2006_us.pdf|publisher=ASO/letour.fr|title=Regulations of the race]

Winners by Nation

Notes