Tour de France prize
Team classification
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Jersey_yellow_number.svg/150px-Jersey_yellow_number.svg.png) |
Sport
| Road bicycle racing
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Competition
| Tour de France
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Awarded for
| Best team
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Local name
| Classement d'equipes
(French)
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First award
| 1930
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Editions
| 85 (as of
2021
)
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First winner
| France
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Most recent
| Team Jumbo Visma
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The
team classification
is a prize given in the
Tour de France
to the best team in the race. It has been awarded since
1930
, and the calculation has changed throughout the years. There is no colored
jersey
for this, but the numbers on the jerseys of the members of the team with the best performance in the
general classification
at the end of the previous stage are against a yellow background instead of white.
History
[
edit
]
The "Challenge Martini" trophy for
1956
, won by the Belgian national team
In the early years of the Tour de France, cyclists entered as individuals. Although they had sponsors, they were not allowed to work as a team, because tour organiser
Henri Desgrange
wanted the Tour de France to be a display of individual strength. In those years, cyclists could also participate unsponsored. They were categorized under different names;
[1]
1909
-
1914
: Isoles;
1919
: Categorie B;
1920
-
1922
: 2° Classe;
1923
-
1926
: Touristes-Routiers;
1937
: Individuels.
In
1930
, Henri Desgrange gave up the idea that cyclist should race individually, and changed the format to real teams. He was still against sponsors assistance, so the cyclists were grouped in countries. This was the situation in the Tours of
1930
?
1961
and
1967
?
1968
. Between
1962
and
1966
and after
1969
, sponsored teams entered the race.
At the introduction of teams in 1930, a prize for the winning team was introduced, then called the
Challenge international
.
[2]
In 1930, the classification was calculated by adding the times of the three best cyclists in the general classification.
[3]
In 1961, the calculation was changed. The team classification was changed into a points system, where a team received one point for the best team-time in the stage, and the team with the most points was the winner. This system was also used in 1962, but in 1963 the calculation was reverted to the time calculation. In the 1970s, this system was reintroduced as the team points competition, although in a different way: after every stage, all cyclists received points (1 for the winner, 2 for the second, etc.) and these were added, and the team with the fewest points was the winner of the team points classification.
[4]
Between
1952
and
1990
, the team classification leaders could be recognized by yellow caps, until helmets became mandatory.
Since
2006
the best team has worn black on yellow back numbers.
[3]
Beginning in
2012
the best team was awarded the right, but not the obligation, to wear yellow helmets.
[7]
[8]
Status
[
edit
]
The team classification is considered less important than the individual
general classification
, and it is rare that a team starts the Tour with the main goal of winning the team classification. If during the race a team is in a good position to win the team classification, the team may change tactics in order to win.
[3]
When
Lance Armstrong
lost hopes of winning in
2010
, he instructed his teammates to keep an eye on their main rivals for the team classification, and his
Team RadioShack
won the team classification.
[3]
A good performance in the team classification may help a team to qualify for the next Tour de France. In 2010, a system was set up to determine which teams qualify as UCI ProTeams, and the team classification in the Tour de France was part of this system.
[3]
Calculation
[
edit
]
As of
2011
, the team classification is calculated by adding the times of the three best riders of each team per stage; time bonuses and penalties are ignored. In a team time trial, the team gets the time of the fifth rider of that team to cross the finish, or the last rider if there are fewer than five left for the team. If a team has fewer than three cyclists remaining, it is removed from this classification.
Winners
[
edit
]
Team classification
[
edit
]
Team classification winners
[9]
[10]
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Team points classification
[
edit
]
Between
1973
and
1989
, there was an additional team points classification.
[4]
Team points classification winners
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See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
In some years, countries entered multiple teams. In 1939, Belgium entered two teams and won the team competition with team B. In 1948 and 1950, Belgium won with team A. In 1949, Italy entered two teams and won the team competition with team A.
References
[
edit
]
Bibliography
[
edit
]
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Team classification
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Team points classification
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By year
men
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By year
women
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Classifications
("Jerseys")
| Current
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![Jersey with yellow numbers](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Jersey_yellow_number.svg/25px-Jersey_yellow_number.svg.png) Team
(
classement d'equipes
)
| |
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Former
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Directors
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Finish locations
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Lists
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Additional topics
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Related articles
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