Award details | |
---|---|
Sport | Road bicycle racing |
Competition | Tour de France |
Given for | Best young rider |
Local name | Maillot blanc (French) |
History | |
First award | 1975 |
Editions | 41 (as of 2016) |
First winner | Francesco Moser (ITA) |
Most wins |
Jan Ullrich (GER)
|
Most recent | Adam Yates (GBR) |
Jan Ullrich (GER)
Andy Schleck (LUX)
The young rider classification is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1975. Excluding the years 1989 to 1999, the leader of the young rider classification wears a white jersey (French: maillot blanc). 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 below 26 years are eligible.
From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification (best rider in the overall, points and climbing competitions). In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the young rider classification. Any neo-professional (less than three years professional) competed in this classification, which was calculated using the rankings for the general classification. The leader in the young rider classification wore a white jersey.