The Tour de France looks so colourfully chaotic that it’s almost psychedelic when the peloton, filled with bright, splashy jerseys, whooshes by in the blink of an eye. All the pro cyclists racing the Tour wear their team jerseys, which are covered in the names of the team and all the sponsors, and are designed to be as bright, recognisable, and eye-catching as possible.

However, throughout the race, four cyclists are awarded different, special coloured jerseys that are unique to the Tour de France. These colours include yellow (maillot jaune), green (maillot vert), red polka dots (maillot à pois rouges), and white (maillot blanc).

Each one of these jerseys has its own meaning and importance. The rider wearing each of these jerseys can change at the end of every stage, and often does, with the special jersey changing hands before the next day’s stage begins.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what each Tour de France jersey colour means and how a rider can win each one.

Yellow Jersey

For most, the race’s fabled yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, stands above all else. It designates the rider who leads the general classification (GC) and has the fastest overall time. After each stage, the riders’ cumulative times of all previous stages are calculated to determine the overall leader. The yellow jersey is then awarded to the GC leader, and he wears it in the following stage. Because the yellow jersey is based on time, not points, a rider who wins the stage may not necessarily win the yellow jersey that day.

Contenders for yellow are well-rounded cyclists and smart tacticians who possess a combination of skills in both climbing and time trialling, but who are also strong enough to hold the pace of the peloton, especially as rival teams work together to drop the leader at every possible opportunity.

Green Jersey

While known as the “sprinter’s jersey,” the green jersey goes to the leader of the Points Classification. The amount of points given depends on the stage profile—whether it’s flat or mountainous, for example. Typically, the winners are the first 10 to 25 riders who cross a stage finish, because the most points are traditionally gained at the end of the flatter stages (where the sprinters shine).

Ultimately, the green goes to a well-rounded and consistent rider, as well as to those who show tremendous persistence, picking up points where they can.

Polka Dot Jersey

The polka dot jersey goes to the leader of the Mountains Classification, otherwise known as King of the Mountains. Points in this contest are awarded to the first riders who reach the summit of designated climbs on each stage.

Tour de France climbs are ranked from category 1 (most difficult) to category 4 (least difficult). A fifth class, hors catégorie (“beyond category”), is reserved for the most challenging ascents. The amount of points awarded depends on the difficulty of each climb, though sometimes shorter or milder climbs will join a higher category if they come at the end of a stage.

Of course, the rider in polka dots must be a strong climber. Often, it goes to small, lightweight guys with very high power outputs. The KoM competition comes into its own once the race heads into the mountain stages, where most points are available.

White Jersey

The white jersey, or maillot blanc, is worn by the leader in the general classification that is 25 years old or under (on January 1 in the year of the race), or put simply: the best young rider with the lowest overall time. For the young, ambitious all-rounders in the race, winning the white jersey is like winning the yellow jersey.

Other Awards

There are two other classifications that are not awarded with a special jersey: the Combativity Award and Team Classification.

Although largely a token prize, winning the Combativity award still gets you a podium appearance once the race finishes on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. After every stage excluding time trials, a panel decides the day’s most aggressive rider. Not necessarily the stage winner, it could be someone who has consistently attacked, instigated a breakaway, or a key player in the stage’s outcome. This rider wears a red race number (instead of black) during the following day’s stage. A Super Combativity award is given on the final stage for the most aggressive rider during the entire Tour.

The Team Classification award is based on the collective time of the three highest-placed riders in the general classification from each team. The three leaders of the team classification wear race numbers that are yellow with black numbers, rather than white with black numbers, and have the option of wearing yellow helmets.

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