Yellow jersey statistics explained

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See also: Tour de France records and statistics. Since the first Tour de France in 1903, there have been 2,205 stages, up to and including the final stage of the 2021 Tour de France. Since 1919, the race leader following each stage has been awarded the yellow jersey (French: link=no|Maillot jaune).

Although the leader of the classification after a stage gets a yellow jersey, he is not considered the winner of the yellow jersey, only the wearer. Only after the final stage, the wearer of the yellow jersey is considered the winner of the yellow jersey, and thereby the winner of the Tour de France.

In this article first-place-classifications before 1919 are also counted as if a yellow jersey was awarded. There have been more yellow jerseys given than there were stages: In 1914,[1] 1929,[2] and 1931,[3] there were multiple cyclists with the same leading time, and the 1988 Tour de France had a "prelude",[4] an extra stage for a select group of cyclists. As of 2021 a total of 2,208 yellow jerseys have been awarded in the Tour de France to 295 riders.

Individual records

In previous tours, sometimes a stage was broken in two (or three). On such occasions, only the cyclist leading at the end of the day is counted. The "Jerseys" column lists the number of days that the cyclist wore the yellow jersey; the "Tour wins" column gives the number of times the cyclist won the general classification. The next four columns indicate the number of times the rider won the points classification, the King of the Mountains classification, and the young rider competition, and the years in which the yellow jersey was worn, with bold years indicating an overall Tour win. For example: Eddy Merckx has spent 96 days in the yellow jersey, won the general classification five times, won the points classification three times, and won the mountains classification twice, but never won the young rider classification.[5] He wore the yellow jersey in the Tours of 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 (which he all won) and 1975 (which he did not win). Three cyclists (Jean Robic in 1947, Charly Gaul in 1958 and Jan Janssen in 1968) have won the Tour de France with only two yellow jerseys in their career.

Until the results of Lance Armstrong were annulled for cheating in 2012, he was ranked second in this list, leading the Tour for 83 stages from 1999 to 2005. Alberto Contador was stripped of the yellow jersey and 6 days of wearing it in 2010 Tour de France because he tested positive for doping.

Fabian Cancellara is, as of 2024, the rider with the most yellow jerseys for someone who has not won the Tour with twenty-nine days in yellow.

This table is updated to the end of the 2024 Tour de France (i.e. the stage is included).

style= "background:#CEDFF2;"
Cyclists who are still active
Cyclists who won the Tour de France
RankNameCountryYellow
jerseys
Tour wins
Points
Mountains
Young rider
Years
1 Eddy Merckx 9653201969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975
2 Bernard Hinault 7551101978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986
3 Miguel Induráin 6050001991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
4 Chris Froome 5940102013, 2015, 2016, 2017
5 Jacques Anquetil 5050001957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
6 Tadej Pogačar4030242020, 2021, 2022, 2024
7 Antonin Magne3820001931, 1934
= 8 Nicolas Frantz3720001927, 1928, 1929
= 8 Philippe Thys3730001913, 1914, 1920
10 André Leducq3520001929, 1930, 1932, 1938
= 11 Louison Bobet 3430101948, 1953, 1954, 1955
= 11 Ottavio Bottecchia3420001923, 1924, 1925
13 2900002004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015
14 Jonas Vingegaard 2720102022, 2023
= 15 Sylvère Maes2620101936, 1937, 1939
= 15 René Vietto2600101939, 1947
17 François Faber2510001909, 1910, 1911
= 18 Laurent Fignon 2220011983, 1984, 1989
= 18 Greg LeMond 2230011986, 1989, 1990, 1991
= 18 Joop Zoetemelk 2210001971, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980
21 Romain Maes2110001935
= 22 Gino Bartali 2020201937, 1938, 1948, 1949
= 22 2000102004, 2011
= 24 Fausto Coppi 1920201949, 1952
= 24 19 02001956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962
= 24 Vincenzo Nibali 1910002014
= 27 Julian Alaphilippe 1800102019, 2020, 2021
= 27 Felice Gimondi 1810001965
= 27 Jan Ullrich 1810031997, 1998
= 30 17 01001962, 1964, 1966, 1969
= 30 Luis Ocaña 1710001971, 1973
= 30 Lucien Petit-Breton 1720001907, 1908
= 30 Roger Pingeon 1710001967
= 34 Odile Defraye1610001912, 1913
= 34 Maurice De Waele1610001929
= 34 Bernard Thévenet 1620001975, 1977
= 37 Pedro Delgado[6] 1510001987, 1988
= 37 Geraint Thomas 1510002017, 2018
= 37 1500011977
= 40 1400001933, 1936
= 40 1400001988, 1990
= 40 Gastone Nencini 1410101960
= 40 Bjarne Riis 1410001995, 1996
= 40 Léon Scieur 1410001921
= 40 Bradley Wiggins 1410002012
= 46 1300001919, 1922
= 46 Gustave Garrigou 1310001911
= 46 René Pottier 1310001905, 1906
= 46 Andy Schleck[7] 1310032010, 2011
= 46 Georges Speicher 1310001933, 1934
= 51 1200001984
= 51 1200001974, 1978
= 51 Ferdinand Kübler 1211001947, 1950
= 51 1200001955
= 51 Louis Trousselier 1210001905, 1907
= 51 Lucien Van Impe 1210601976
= 51 1200001954, 1955, 1956
= 58 Alberto Contador 1120012007, 2009
= 58 1100001956, 1963
= 58 Hugo Koblet 1110001951
= 58 Primož Roglič 1100002020
= 58 1100002016, 2018
= 58 1100001968
= 64 1000001983, 1985
= 64 1002002004, 2006, 2011
= 64 1000001992
= 67 900011981, 1982
= 67 900001964
= 67 9 02001976
= 67 900001949, 1950, 1952
= 67 900001998, 2001
= 67 Henri Pélissier 910001919, 1923
= 67 900202007
= 74 Lucien Buysse 810001926
= 74 800201990
= 74 Cadel Evans 810002008, 2010, 2011
= 74 800001906, 1907
= 74 800001978, 1979, 1980, 1981
= 74 800002009
= 74 Óscar Pereiro[8] 810002006
= 74 801001980
= 74 Roger Walkowiak 810001956
= 74 Adam Yates 800002020, 2023
= 84 700001956, 1960
= 84 Federico Bahamontes 710601959, 1963
= 84 700001950
= 84 700002002
= 84 700001930
= 84 700001987
= 84 700001986, 1990, 1991
= 84 700001987
= 84 Marco Pantani 710021998
= 84 700001962
= 84 700001983
= 84 700001926
= 96 Lucien Aimar 610001966
= 96 600001994, 1997, 1998
= 96 600001959
= 96 600001993, 1997
= 96 600001958
= 96 Maurice Garin 610001903
= 96 600001972
= 96 600002008
= 96 600001999
= 96 600001951
= 96 600001937, 1938
= 96 600001949
= 96 600011975
= 96 601001953
= 96 Mathieu van der Poel 600002021
= 96 601001968, 1973
= 96 600201938
= 113 500001922
= 113 500001925
= 113 Firmin Lambot 520001919, 1922
= 113 500001953
= 113 500001993, 1994
= 113 500001986
= 113 500001927
= 113 Carlos Sastre 510102008
= 113 500001964, 1965
= 113 501001983, 1985
= 113 500001997
= 124 400001951, 1954, 1958
= 124 401002006
= 124 400001973
= 124 400002000
= 124 400101958
= 124 400001953
= 124 400001958, 1959
= 124 400001922, 1923
= 124 402201995, 2000
= 124 400001966
= 124 Roger Lapébie 410001937
= 124 400001952
= 124 400001927
= 124 400001931
= 124 400001959, 1963
= 124 400001914
= 124 Peter Sagan407002016, 2018
= 124 400001989
= 124 400001991
= 124 Wout van Aert 401002022
= 124 400001951, 1955, 1958
= 124 400001956, 1958
= 124 400001970
= 124 400001992, 1996
= 148 300001937
= 148 Egan Bernal 310012019
= 148 Henri Cornet 310001904
= 148 300001951
= 148 300001929
= 148 300001963
= 148 300001950
= 148 300001996
= 148 300002006
= 148 300001948, 1949
= 148 300002006
= 148 Octave Lapize 310001910
= 148 300002003
= 148 300002000
= 148 300001993
= 148 300001987, 1988
= 148 300001930, 1931
= 148 300002003
= 148 300001957
= 148 300001978
= 148 Stephen Roche 310001987
= 148 300001962
= 148 300002001
= 148 300001969
= 148 300001988
= 148 300001959
= 148 300002005
= 175 200001960
= 175 200002017
= 175 200002013
= 175 200001923
= 175 200002002
= 175 200001996
= 175 200101947
= 175 200001926
= 175 200001913
= 175 200002010
= 175 Giulio Ciccone 200102019
= 175 200001910, 1912
= 175 200001976
= 175 200001998
= 175 200001995
= 175 200001929
= 175 200001939
= 175 201001957
= 175 Charly Gaul 210201958
= 175 200001987
= 175 200001962
= 175 200002013
= 175 200001995
= 175 200001968
= 175 200001984
= 175 200002013
= 175 Jan Janssen 213001966, 1968
= 175 200001974
= 175 200002013, 2014
= 175 200001933
= 175 200002015
= 175 200001911, 1913
= 175 200002001
= 175 200001920, 1921
= 175 200001908
= 175 200001982, 1984
= 175 200001990
= 175 200001987
= 175 Jean Robic 210001947, 1953
= 175 200001947
= 175 200002008
= 175 200001964
= 175 Mike Teunissen 200002019
= 175 200001978
= 175 200002008
= 175 200011986
= 175 200001952
= 175 200001994
= 175 200701992, 2003
= 175 200002001, 2005
= 175 200001968
= 175 206001998, 2002
= 227 100001932
= 227 Romain Bardet 100102024
= 227 100001957
= 227 100001904
= 227 100001987
= 227 100011979
= 227 100001980
= 227 100001951
= 227 100001988
= 227 100001912
= 227 100001978
= 227 100011989
= 227 100001995
= 227 100001931
= 227 100001949
= 227 Richard Carapaz 100002024
= 227 100001952
= 227 Mark Cavendish 102002016
= 227 Rohan Dennis100002015
= 227 100002006
= 227 100001927
= 227 100001949
= 227 100001936
= 227 100001948
= 227 100001967
= 227 100002008
= 227 100001939
= 227 100001904
= 227 100001986
= 227 100002014
= 227 100001983
= 227 Fernando Gaviria 100002018
= 227 100001968
= 227 100002007
= 227 100002011
= 227 100001960
= 227 100001931
= 227 100001998
= 227 100001922
= 227 100002006
= 227 Jai Hindley 100002023
= 227 104001983
= 227 100001937
= 227 Alexander Kristoff 100002020
= 227 Yves Lampaert 100002022
= 227 100001966
= 227 100001991
= 227 100001931
= 227 100001969
= 227 100001904
= 227 100011988
= 227 100001953
= 227 103002004
= 227 100001936
= 227 100001913
= 227 100001996
= 227 100002003
= 227 100001938
= 227 100001955
= 227 100001967
= 227 100001966
= 227 100001929
= 227 100001967
= 227 100001951
= 227 100001968
= 227 100001962
= 227 100001967
= 227 100001986
= 227 100001932
= 227 100001984
= 227 100001909
= 227 101001965
= 227 100001967
= 227 100002001
= 227 100001994

Number of wearers per year

The largest number of riders wearing the yellow jersey in any year is 8. The smallest is 1.

Number of wearers Years
1 1903, 1924, 1928, 1935, 1999,[9] 2005[10]
2 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1925, 1934, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1977, 2012
3 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1919, 1926, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1954, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985, 2000,[11] 2002,[12] 2009, 2014, 2017, 2021, 2023, 2024
4 1904, 1923, 1927, 1936, 1939, 1948, 1950, 1960, 1969, 1973, 1979, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003,[13] 2004,[14] 2007, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
5 1913, 1922, 1938, 1947, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2001,[15] 2011, 2013, 2020
6 1929, 1931, 1937, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1995, 2008
7 1949, 1951, 1962, 1968, 1978, 1986, 1998, 2006
8 1958, 1987

Notes

Per country

The yellow jersey has been awarded to 25 countries since 1903. In the table below, "Jerseys" indicates the number of yellow jerseys that were given to cyclists of each country. "Tour wins" stands for the number of tour wins by cyclists of that country,[16] "Points" for the number of times the points classification was won by cyclist of that country,[17] "Mountains" for the number of times the mountains classification in the Tour de France was won by a cyclist of that country,[18] and "Young rider" for the number of times the young rider classification was won by a cyclist of that country.[19] The "Most recent holder" column shows the cyclist of the country that wore the yellow jersey most recently. The "Different holders" column gives the number of cyclists of the country that wore the yellow jersey.

RankCountryYellow
jerseys
Tour wins
Points
Mountains
Young rider
Most recent holderStageDifferent holdersList of holders
1729369238Romain Bardet2024, stage 197
24391821111Wout van Aert2022, stage 561Belgian yellow jersey holders
3212102135Giulio Ciccone2019, stage 730
4135121165Alberto Contador2009, stage 2112
51086222Adam Yates2023, stage 49British yellow jersey holders
6985023Andy Schleck2011, stage 1910
7802425Mathieu van der Poel2021, stage 718Dutch yellow jersey holders
8742210Fabian Cancellara 2015, stage 210
9721804Tony Martin2015, stage 614
10703030Jonas Vingegaard2023, stage 217
11513024Tadej Pogačar2024, stage 212
12341501Jai Hindley2023, stage 58Australian yellow jersey holders
13293003George Hincapie2006, stage 14
14150000Steve Bauer1990, stage 92
15110200Alexander Kristoff2020, stage 12
=1671055Egan Bernal2019, stage 213
=1671400Stephen Roche1987, stage 253
1860000Jaan Kirsipuu1999, stage 71
=1940000Acácio da Silva1989, stage 41
=1940700Peter Sagan2018, stage 21
2130001Serhiy Honchar2006, stage 91
=2220020Lech Piasecki1987, stage 21
=2220002Eugeni Berzin1996, stage 81
=2220000Daryl Impey2013, stage 71
=2510000Max Bulla1931, stage 21
=2510010Richard Carapaz2024, stage 41
=27003000
=27000010
=27001000

Yellow jersey retirees

There have been sixteen instances where a rider quit the Tour for any reason while wearing the yellow jersey.[20]

YearStageRiderReason
19276 Francis PélissierSickness
192910 Victor FontanBroken bicycle
193716 Sylvère MaesCollective withdrawal of the Belgian team due to threats from French spectators
195011 Fiorenzo MagniCollective withdrawal of the two Italian teams due to threats from French spectators
195113 Wim van EstWithdrawal after fall down a ravine in Aubisque
19659 Bernard Van De KerkhoveWithdrawal during the climb of Aubisque (sunstroke)
197114 Luis OcañaFall during a storm in Col de Menté.[21]
197816 Michel PollentierExpelled for attempting fraud at a doping test
198012 Bernard HinaultKnee pain
198317 Pascal SimonScapula fracture
19915 Rolf SørensenClavicle fracture after a fall in the last kilometer
19967 Stéphane HeulotKnee tendinitis
19982 Chris BoardmanHead and neck injury after a crash
200716 Michael RasmussenSacked by his team for lying about his whereabouts
20154 Fabian CancellaraBroken vertebrae after a crash in Stage 3
20157 Tony MartinBroken collarbone after a crash in Stage 6[22]

Yellow jersey winners with no stage wins

Usually the winner of the Tour de France also wins at least one stage, but that is not necessary. It is possible to win the Tour de France without winning a single stage, because the overall winner of the Tour de France is decided solely by the total race time. This has happened eight times so far:[23]

  1. 1922
  2. 1956
  3. 1960
  4. 1966
  5. 1990
  6. 2006
  7. 2017
  8. 2019

Of these eight cyclists, Walkowiak and Bernal are the only ones without a single Tour stage win, although Bernal is still active as of 2024, and was leading solo in the final stages of a stage abandoned due to a landslide on the final kilometres of the course in 2019, the year he won the Tour.[24] Firmin Lambot won stages in the 1913, 1914, 1919, 1920 and 1921 Tours,[25] Gastone Nencini won stages in the 1956, 1957 and 1958 Tours,[26] Aimar won a stage in the 1967 Tour,[27] LeMond won stages in the 1985, 1986 and 1989 Tours,[28] Pereiro won a stage in the 2005 Tour,[29] and Froome won stages in the 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Tours. Alberto Contador initially also belonged to this group, when he won the 2010 Tour de France; however, he was later stripped of this title.

Number of Tour winners in a single race

Every Tour de France only has one winner. But a cyclist that has won the Tour de France previously can enter the race again, and a cyclist not winning the race can win the race in a later year. In almost every Tour de France, there were multiple 'former or future' Tour de France-winners in the race.Only seven times, the Tour started without any former Tour de France winner. This happened in 1903, 1927, 1947, 1956, 1966, 1999 and 2006. Only in 1903, apart from the cyclist that won the race, was there no other former or future Tour de France winner.

In 1914, a record of seven former Tour de France winners started that year's Tour:[30]

  1. (1905 winner)
  2. (1907 and 1908 winner)
  3. (1909 winner)
  4. (1910 winner)
  5. (1911 winner)
  6. (1912 winner)
  7. (1913 winner, who would also win the 1914 and the 1920 editions)

In addition to these seven cyclists, four cyclists in that year's Tour would go on to win a Tour later:

  1. (1919 and 1922 winner)
  2. (1921 winner)
  3. (1923 winner)
  4. (1926 winner)

Winning Tour de France on first occasion

Twelve cyclists won the general classification the first time they entered the competition, including three of the five-time champions.

Finishing Tour de France career with victory

Five cyclists won the Tour de France the last time they entered the competition:

Fausto Coppi is the only cyclist who won the Tour de France in both the first and the last Tour he entered.

See also

External links

Official Tour de France history

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tour de France 1914. 2008-03-17. www.radsport-seite.de. de.
  2. Book: McGann, Bill . McGann, Carol . The Story of the Tour De France. 2006. 2008-03-17. Dog Ear Publishing. 1-59858-180-5. Frantz, André Leducq and Victor Fontan, who were in that winning stage 17 break, were exactly tied in time. Today the judges would go back to the time trial and look at the fractions-of-a-second differences. If that doesn't resolve the tie, then a look at placings solves the problem. The Tour didn't have rules to take care of ties, so 3 Yellow Jerseys were awarded.. 92.
  3. Book: McGann, Bill . McGann, Carol . The Story of the Tour De France. 2006. 2008-03-17. Dog Ear Publishing. 1-59858-180-5. Leading up to the Pyrenees, Italy's ace sprinter Rafaelo di Paco dueled with France's Charles Pélissier for stage wins and the lead. After stage 5 they shared the lead for a single day.. 118.
  4. Web site: 75ème Tour de France 1988 – Prélude . 2008-03-17 . www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net . fr . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060526165849/http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1984_1993/tdf1988_p.php . 26 May 2006 .
  5. Web site: Historical Results – Tour de France. 2008-03-17. 2002–2007. Cycling Hall of Fame.com.
  6. In 1988, on 19 July, there were two stages. Other than the split stages that the Tour de France saw earlier, these two stages were counted as individual stages, so Pedro Delgado received two yellow jerseys on that day.
  7. Before Alberto Contador's 2010 Tour de France victory and days in yellow were officially removed, he wore the yellow jersey for 6 days. After his disqualification, Andy Schleck's total increased with 6 extra days.
  8. Before Floyd Landis' 2006 Tour de France victory and days in yellow were officially removed, he wore the yellow jersey for 5 days. After his disqualification, Óscar Pereiro's total increased with 3 extra days.
  9. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing one single rider in yellow that year instead of two.
  10. Results of Lance Armstrong and David Zabriskie annulled resulting in artificially only showing one single rider in yellow that year instead of three.
  11. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing three riders in yellow that year instead of four.
  12. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing three riders in yellow that year instead of four.
  13. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing four riders in yellow that year instead of five.
  14. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing four riders in yellow that year instead of five.
  15. Results of Lance Armstrong annulled resulting in artificially only showing five riders in yellow that year instead of six.
  16. van der Mark, Tour Xtra: The Yellow Jersey
  17. van der Mark, Tour Xtra: The Green Jersey
  18. van der Mark, Tour Xtra: The Polka Dot Jersey
  19. van der Mark, Tour Xtra: The White Jersey
  20. Web site: Riders that abandoned Tour de France in yellow jersey. 2008-03-17. 25 July 2007. www.infostradasports.com.
  21. Web site: Luis Ocaña: the rider with no limits – and no luck at all. 19 May 2024.
  22. Web site: Martin abandons Tour de France due to fractured collarbone. 9 July 2015.
  23. Web site: Few have won yellow without a stage win. 2008-03-17. 22 July 2000. Cyclingnews.
  24. Tour de France database results for Roger Walkowiak
  25. Tour de France database results for Firmin Lambot
  26. Tour de France database results for Gastone Nencini
  27. Tour de France database results for Lucien Aimar
  28. Tour de France database results for Greg Lemond
  29. Tour de France database results for Oscar Pereiro Sio
  30. Web site: Thys in spite of Pélissier. 2008-03-17. Tom James. 4 April 2001.