 Tadej Pogačar, only four-time winner of white jersey | |
| Sport | Road bicycle racing |
|---|---|
| Competition | Tour de France |
| Awarded for | Best young rider |
| Local name | Maillot blanc (French) |
| History | |
| First award | 1975 |
| Editions | 51 (as of2025) |
| First winner |  Francesco Moser (ITA) |
| Most wins | 4 wins: Tadej Pogačar (SLO) |
| Most recent |  Florian Lipowitz (GER) |
Theyoung rider classification is a secondary competition in theTour de France, that started in1975. Excluding the years1989 to1999, the leader of the young rider classification wears awhite jersey (French:maillot blanc). It goes to whichever eligible rider has the best time in thegeneral classification.
The requirements to be eligible for the young rider classification have changed over the years but have always been such that experienced cyclists were not eligible, sometimes by excluding cyclists over a certain age, cyclists who had entered the Tour de France before, or cyclists who had been professional for more than two years. In the most recent years, only cyclists who will remain below 26 in the year the race is held are eligible.
In theTour de France Femmes, the white jersey is awarded to the highest placed rider in the general classification under the age of 23.[1]
From1968 to1975, there was awhite jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in thecombination classification (best rider in the overall, points and climbing competitions). In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by theyoung rider classification. Any neo-professional (less than three years professional) competed in this classification, which was calculated using the rankings for the general classification.[2] The leader in the young rider classification wore a white jersey.
The rules for the young rider classification changed in1983, when the competition was only open for first-time competitors, but in1987 it became open for all cyclists less than 26 years of age at 1 January of the year following that tour.[3] From1989-1999, the white jersey was no longer awarded, although the competition was still calculated. Since2000, thewhite jersey has again been awarded, open for all cyclists less than 26 years of age at 1 January of the year following that Tour. In1997, the name of the competition officially changed to 'SouvenirFabio Casartelli'.[4]
The optical retail chain Krys has sponsored the white jersey since2015.[5] The jersey was previously sponsored by Czech car manufacturerŠkoda from 2004 to 2014.
The white jersey is the fourth most important jersey in the Tour de France, after yellow, green and polka dot jerseys.[6][7] If a rider leads one of the other classifications and the young rider classification, he will wear the yellow, green or the polka dot jersey. The second rider (or the following eligible rider) in the young rider classification will wear the white jersey with the following exception:
In this case the third rider (or the following eligible rider) will be in the white jersey.
Since the young rider classification was introduced in 1975, it has been won by 40 different cyclists. On seven occasions a cyclist has won the young rider classification and the general classification —Laurent Fignon in1983,Jan Ullrich in1997,Alberto Contador in2007,Andy Schleck in2010,Egan Bernal in2019 andTadej Pogačar in2020 and2021. The only cyclists to win the young rider classification and themountains classification in the same year areNairo Quintana in2013 and Pogačar in2020 and2021.
The only cyclists to win the young rider classification multiple times areMarco Pantani (two wins),Jan Ullrich (three wins — also finishing first once or second twice in the general classification),Andy Schleck (three wins — also finishing first once and second once in the general classification),Nairo Quintana (two wins — also finishing second in the general classification both years), andTadej Pogačar (four wins — also finishing first twice and second twice in the general classification). Quintana is the only rider to win the classification in non-consecutive years. Pogačar holds the absolute record of wearing the white jersey for 75 days in total.Tadej Pogačar also has the record of leading the young rider classification for 72 consecutive stages, betweenstage 13 of the 2020 Tour de France and the end of the 2023 Tour de France.
| Country | No. of winning cyclists | No. of wins |
|---|---|---|
 France | 8 | 8 |
 Netherlands | 5 | 5 |
 Spain | 5 | 5 |
| Italy | 4 | 5 |
 Colombia | 4 | 5 |
| Germany | 3 | 5 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 4 |
 United States | 3 | 3 |
 Luxembourg | 1 | 3 |
 Russia | 2 | 2 |
 United Kingdom | 2 | 2 |
 Australia | 1 | 1 |
 Belgium | 1 | 1 |
 Mexico | 1 | 1 |
 Ukraine | 1 | 1 |
Note: 1989-1999 editions, when the classification didn't have a distinctive jersey are also taken into account.
| Rider | Total |
|---|---|
| Tadej Pogačar | 75 |
| Jan Ullrich | 55 |
| Phil Anderson | 37 |
| Jean-René Bernaudeau | 29 |
| Andy Schleck | 28 |
| Dietrich Thurau | 28 |
Dietrich Thurau1977 (28 stages)Phil Anderson1982 (23 stages)Jan Ullrich1997 (22 stages)Tadej Pogačar2021 (21 stages)Tadej Pogačar2022 (21 stages)Tadej Pogačar2023 (21 stages)WHITE JERSEY for the best young rider classification sponsored by LIV Riders under 23 years of age
In addition to continuing as the official optician of the prestigious cycling race – a role it began last year – Krys will also sponsor the tour's white jersey, awarded to the best young rider under the age of 25.
There is an established order of priority for the different leaders' jerseys: the yellow jersey, followed by the green jersey, then the red polka-dot jersey and finally the white jersey
2.6.018 - [...] If a rider is leading more than one classification, the order of priority of the distinctive jerseys shall be as follows: 1. general classification by time; 2. general classification by points; 3. general climber's classification; 4. others (young rider, combined, etc.); the order of priority among these other jerseys shall be set by the organiser.
However, if this rider is required to wear his world, continental or national champion's jersey, then he will wear this jersey
2.6.018 - [...] In this situation, the organiser may require another rider next on the relevant classification to wear a jersey which is not being worn by the leader of that classification. However, if this rider must wear his world or national champion's jersey, or the leader's jersey of a UCI cup, circuit, series or classification, he shall wear that jersey.
Media related toYoung rider classification in the Tour de France at Wikimedia Commons
