Young rider classification

Young rider classification (French: classement général des jeunes) is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for riders below the age of twenty-six years (or twenty-three years) depending on the race rules.[1] At the Tour Down Under recipients are aged under twenty-six.[2] Recipients are commonly known as the Best young rider.[3]

In stage racing, the fastest overall time of all riders below the age limit is awarded the cycling jersey, often the jersey color is white, in the same fashion the fastest time of all riders (regardless of age) is awarded in the general classification.[4]

If the best young rider is also the leader of the general classification, points classification or mountains classification, then the rider wears the most prestigious jersey and the next young rider in the classification not holding a more prestigious jersey will wear the young rider jersey. Article 2.6.018 of the UCI regulations on road cycling states:

"On the basis of the classifications, only 4 leader’s jerseys of the race can be issued in events of the UCI WorldTour and continental circuits of classes HC and 1 for the men elite and under 23, and a maximum of 6 jerseys in other events. Only the leader's jersey for the individual general classification by time is compulsory.

The leader of each classification, except the team classification, shall be required to wear the corresponding distinctive jersey.

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.

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.

In the situation where the leader of a classification does not take the start of a stage, the virtual leader of the relevant classification is allowed to wear the related distinctive jersey, subject to the consent of both the organiser and the president of the commissaires’ panel.

The riders of the team leading the team classification shall be required to wear the corresponding distinctive bib number if required by the organiser.

The presentation of a team leader jersey is prohibited both in the protocol and in the race.

No leaders’ jersey of the race or distinctive sign can be worn by a rider during the first day (prologue or stage) of a stage race.

Wearing a leader’s jersey or distinctive sign is prohibited in the case referred to in article 1.3.055 bis, point 5."[5]

Young rider classification winners of the Grand Tours

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Until 2016, the young rider classification existed only in two of the three Grand Tours, the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. The Vuelta a España introduced an award for the best young rider in its 2017 edition. However, in the 2017 and 2018 editions, the awardee did not wear a white jersey, but a red number bib instead. The white jersey was awarded at the Vuelta for the first time in the 2019 edition as the organizers had decided to eliminate the combination classification.[6]

Winners by year

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Legend
Rider also won General and Mountains classification
Rider also won General classification
Rider also won Mountains classification
Year   Giro d'Italia   Tour de France   Vuelta a España
1975 Not awarded   Francesco Moser (ITA) (1/1) Introduced in 2017
1976   Alfio Vandi (ITA) (1/1)   Enrique Martinez-Heredia (ESP) (1/1)
1977   Mario Beccia (ITA) (1/1)   Dietrich Thurau (GER) (1/1)
1978   Roberto Visentini (ITA) (1/1)   Henk Lubberding (NED) (1/1)
1979   Silvano Contini (ITA) (1/1)   Jean-Rene Bernaudeau (FRA) (1/1)
1980   Tommy Prim (SWE) (1/1)   Johan Van der Velde (NED) (1/1)
1981   Giuseppe Faraca (ITA) (1/1)   Peter Winnen (NED) (1/1)
1982   Marco Groppo (ITA) (1/1)   Phil Anderson (AUS) (1/1)
1983   Franco Chioccioli (ITA) (1/1)   Laurent Fignon (FRA) (1/1)
1984   Charly Mottet (FRA) (1/1)   Greg LeMond (USA) (1/1)
1985   Alberto Volpi (ITA) (1/1)   Fabio Parra (COL) (1/1)
1986   Marco Giovannetti (ITA) (1/1)   Andrew Hampsten (USA) (1/1)
1987   Roberto Conti (ITA) (1/1)   Raúl Alcalá (MEX) (1/1)
1988   Stefano Tomasini (ITA) (1/1)   Erik Breukink (NED) (1/1)
1989   Vladimir Poulnikov (URS) (1/2)   Fabrice Philipot (FRA) (1/1)
1990   Vladimir Poulnikov (URS) (2/2)   Gilles Delion (FRA) (1/1)
1991   Massimiliano Lelli (ITA) (1/1)   Álvaro Mejía (COL) (1/1)
1992   Pavel Tonkov (CIS) (1/2)   Eddy Bouwmans (NED) (1/1)
1993   Pavel Tonkov (CIS) (2/2)   Antonio Martín Velasco (ESP) (1/1)
1994   Eugeni Berzin (RUS) (2/2)   Marco Pantani (ITA) (1/2)
1995 Not awarded   Marco Pantani (ITA) (2/2)
1996   Jan Ullrich (GER) (1/3)
1997   Jan Ullrich (GER) (2/3)
1998   Jan Ullrich (GER) (3/3)
1999   Benoît Salmon (FRA) (1/1)
2000   Francisco Mancebo (ESP) (1/1)
2001   Óscar Sevilla (ESP) (1/1)
2002   Ivan Basso (ITA) (1/1)
2003   Denis Menchov (RUS) (1/1)
2004   Vladimir Karpets (RUS) (1/1)
2005   Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) (1/1)
2006   Damiano Cunego (ITA) (1/1)
2007   Andy Schleck (LUX) (1/4)   Alberto Contador (ESP) (1/1)
2008   Riccardo Riccò (ITA) (1/1)   Andy Schleck (LUX) (2/4)
2009   Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL) (1/1)   Andy Schleck (LUX) (3/4)
2010   Richie Porte (AUS) (1/1)   Andy Schleck (LUX) (4/4)
2011   Roman Kreuziger (CZE) (1/1)   Pierre Rolland (FRA) (1/1)
2012   Rigoberto Urán (COL) (1/1)   Tejay van Garderen (USA) (1/1)
2013   Carlos Betancur (COL) (1/1)   Nairo Quintana (COL) (1/3)
2014   Nairo Quintana (COL) (2/3)   Thibaut Pinot (FRA) (1/1)
2015   Fabio Aru (ITA) (1/1)   Nairo Quintana (COL) (3/3)
2016   Bob Jungels (LUX) (1/2)   Adam Yates (GBR) (1/1)
2017   Bob Jungels (LUX) (2/2)   Simon Yates (GBR) (1/1)   Miguel Ángel López (COL) (1/3)
2018   Miguel Ángel López (COL) (2/3)   Pierre Latour (FRA) (1/1)   Enric Mas (ESP) (1/2)
2019   Miguel Ángel López (COL) (3/3)   Egan Bernal (COL) (1/2)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (1/5)
2020   Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) (3/3)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (2/5)   Enric Mas (ESP) (2/2)
2021   Egan Bernal (COL) (2/2)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (3/5)   Gino Mäder (SUI) (1/1)
2022   Juan Pedro López (ESP) (1/1)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (4/5)   Remco Evenepoel (BEL) (1/2)
2023   João Almeida (POR) (1/1)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (5/5)   Juan Ayuso (ESP) (1/1)
2024   Antonio Tiberi (ITA) (1/1)   Remco Evenepoel (BEL) (2/2)   Mattias Skjelmose (DEN) (1/1)
Year   Giro d'Italia   Tour de France   Vuelta a España

Most white jerseys

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Rank Rider Total Giro Tour Vuelta
1   Tadej Pogačar 5 4 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) 1 (2019)
2   Andy Schleck 4 1 (2007) 3 (2008, 2009, 2010)
3   Jan Ullrich 3 3 (1996, 1997, 1998)
  Nairo Quintana 3 1 (2014) 2 (2013, 2015)
  Miguel Ángel López 3 2 (2018, 2019) 1 (2017)
6   Vladimir Poulnikov 2 2 (1989, 1990)
  Pavel Tonkov 2 2 (1992, 1993)
  Marco Pantani 2 2 (1994, 1995)
  Bob Jungels 2 2 (2016, 2017)
  Enric Mas 2 2 (2018, 2020)
  Egan Bernal 2 1 (2021) 1 (2019)
  Remco Evenepoel 2 1 (2024) 1 (2022)

References

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  1. ^ "The White Jersey at the Tour de France - A Brief History". Rouleur. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Jerseys and Classifications | Santos Tour Down Under". tourdownunder.com.au. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Sporting stakes & Rules". www.lavuelta.es. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Every Tour de France Jersey Color Means Something Different". Bicycling. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Regulations Part II - Road Races" (PDF). www.uci.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Vuelta a España Jerseys explained". www.canyon.com. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.