Points classification

Bicycle racing award type

The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and is often known as the sprint classification; however, in some stage races these classifications are based on different criteria.

The points classification is arguably the second most important title and cycling jersey to win at a cycling stage race behind the general classification, which is the winner of the event by overall time.

Points classification winners of the Grand Tours

Winners by year

Year Giro d'Italia Tour de France Vuelta a España
1953 Introduced in 1966  Fritz Schär (SUI) (1/1) Introduced in 1955
1954  Ferdinand Kübler (SUI) (1/1)
1955  Stan Ockers (BEL) (1/2)  Fiorenzo Magni (ITA) (1/1)
1956  Stan Ockers (BEL) (2/2)  Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) (1/1)
1957  Jean Forestier (FRA) (1/1)  Vicente Iturat (ESP) (1/1)
1958  Jean Graczyk (FRA) (1/2)  Salvador Botella (ESP) (1/1)
1959  André Darrigade (FRA) (1/2)  Rik Van Looy (BEL) (1/3)
1960  Jean Graczyk (FRA) (2/2)  Arthur De Cabooer (BEL) (1/1)
1961  André Darrigade (FRA) (2/2)  Antonio Suárez (ESP) (1/1)
1962  Rudi Altig (FRG) (1/2)  Rudi Altig (GER) (2/2)
1963  Rik Van Looy (BEL) (2/3)  Bas Maliepaard (NED) (1/1)
1964  Jan Janssen (NED) (1/5)  José Pérez Francés (ESP) (1/1)
1965  Jan Janssen (NED) (2/5)  Rik Van Looy (BEL) (3/3)
1966  Gianni Motta (ITA) (1/1)  Willy Planckaert (BEL) (1/1)  Jos van der Vleuten (NED) (1/1)
1967  Dino Zandegù (ITA) (1/1)  Jan Janssen (NED) (4/5)  Jan Janssen (NED) (3/5)
1968  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (1/6)  Franco Bitossi (ITA) (1/3)  Jan Janssen (NED) (5/5)
1969  Franco Bitossi (ITA) (2/3)  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (2/6)  Raymond Steegmans (BEL) (1/1)
1970  Franco Bitossi (ITA) (3/3)  Walter Godefroot (BEL) (1/1)  Guido Reybrouck (BEL) (1/1)
1971  Marino Basso (ITA) (1/1)  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (3/6)  Cyrille Guimard (FRA) (1/1)
1972  Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (1/3)  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (4/6)  Domingo Perurena (ESP) (1/2)
1973  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (6/6)  Herman Van Springel (BEL) (1/1)  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (5/6)
1974  Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (2/3)  Patrick Sercu (BEL) (1/1)  Domingo Perurena (ESP) (2/2)
1975  Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (3/3)  Rik Van Linden (BEL) (1/1)  Miguel María Lasa (ESP) (1/1)
1976  Francesco Moser (ITA) (1/4)  Freddy Maertens (BEL) (1/4)  Dietrich Thurau (GER) (1/1)
1977  Francesco Moser (ITA) (2/4)  Jacques Esclassan (FRA) (1/1)  Freddy Maertens (BEL) (2/4)
1978  Francesco Moser (ITA) (3/4)  Freddy Maertens (BEL) (3/4)  Ferdi Van Den Haute (BEL) (1/1)
1979  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) (1/4)  Bernard Hinault (FRA) (1/1)  Alfons De Wolf (BEL) (1/1)
1980  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) (2/4)  Rudy Pevenage (BEL) (1/1)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (1/8)
1981  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) (3/4)  Freddy Maertens (BEL) (4/4)  Javier Cedena (ESP) (1/1)
1982  Francesco Moser (ITA) (4/4)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (2/8)  Stefan Mutter (SUI) (1/1)
1983  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) (4/4)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (3/8)  Marino Lejarreta (ESP) (1/1)
1984  Urs Freuler (SUI) (1/1)  Frank Hoste (BEL) (1/1)  Guido Van Calster (BEL) (1/1)
1985  Johan van der Velde (NED) (1/3)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (4/8)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (5/8)
1986  Guido Bontempi (ITA) (1/1)  Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) (1/1)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (6/8)
1987  Johan van der Velde (NED) (2/3)  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) (1/1)  Alfonso Gutiérrez (ESP) (1/1)
1988  Johan van der Velde (NED) (3/3)  Eddy Planckaert (BEL) (1/1)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (7/8)
1989  Giovanni Fidanza (ITA) (1/1)  Sean Kelly (IRL) (8/8)  Malcolm Elliott (GBR) (1/1)
1990  Gianni Bugno (ITA) (1/1)  Olaf Ludwig (GER) (1/1)  Uwe Raab (GER) (1/2)
1991  Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (1/1)  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) (1/5)  Uwe Raab (GER) (2/2)
1992  Mario Cipollini (ITA) (1/3)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (1/7)  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) (2/5)
1993  Adriano Baffi (ITA) (1/1)  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) (3/5)  Tony Rominger (SUI) (1/2)
1994  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) (4/5)  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) (5/5)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (2/7)
1995  Tony Rominger (SUI) (2/2)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (3/7)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (4/7)
1996  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) (1/2)  Erik Zabel (GER) (1/9)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (5/7)
1997  Mario Cipollini (ITA) (2/3)  Erik Zabel (GER) (2/9)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (6/7)
1998  Mariano Piccoli (ITA) (1/1)  Erik Zabel (GER) (3/9)  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) (2/2)
1999  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (7/7)  Erik Zabel (GER) (4/9)  Frank Vandenbroucke (BEL) (1/1)
2000  Dmitri Konyshev (RUS) (1/1)  Erik Zabel (GER) (5/9)  Roberto Heras (ESP) (1/1)
2001  Massimo Strazzer (ITA) (1/1)  Erik Zabel (GER) (6/9)  José María Jiménez (ESP) (1/1)
2002  Mario Cipollini (ITA) (3/3)  Robbie McEwen (AUS) (1/3)  Erik Zabel (GER) (7/9)
2003  Gilberto Simoni (ITA) (1/1)  Baden Cooke (AUS) (1/1)  Erik Zabel (GER) (8/9)
2004  Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) (1/3)  Robbie McEwen (AUS) (2/3)  Erik Zabel (GER) (9/9)
2005  Paolo Bettini (ITA) (1/2)  Thor Hushovd (NOR) (1/3)  Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) (2/3)
2006  Paolo Bettini (ITA) (2/2)  Robbie McEwen (AUS) (3/3)  Thor Hushovd (NOR) (2/3)
2007 No winner[A]  Tom Boonen (BEL) (1/1)  Daniele Bennati (ITA) (1/2)
2008  Daniele Bennati (ITA) (2/2)  Óscar Freire (ESP) (1/1)  Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (1/1)
2009  Denis Menchov (RUS) (1/1)  Thor Hushovd (NOR) (3/3)  André Greipel (GER) (1/1)
2010  Cadel Evans (AUS) (1/1)  Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) (3/3)  Mark Cavendish (GBR) (1/4)
2011  Michele Scarponi (ITA) (1/1)  Mark Cavendish (GBR) (2/4)  Bauke Mollema (NED) (1/1)
2012  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) (1/1)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (1/8)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (1/4)
2013  Mark Cavendish (GBR) (3/4)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (2/8)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (2/4)
2014  Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) (1/1)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (3/8)  John Degenkolb (GER) (1/1)
2015  Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) (1/2)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (4/8)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (3/4)
2016  Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) (2/2)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (5/8)  Fabio Felline (ITA) (1/1)
2017  Fernando Gaviria (COL) (1/1)  Michael Matthews (AUS) (1/1)  Chris Froome (GBR) (1/1)
2018  Elia Viviani (ITA) (1/1)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (6/8)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (4/4)
2019  Pascal Ackermann (GER) (1/1)  Peter Sagan (SVK) (7/8)  Primož Roglič (SLO) (1/2)
2020  Arnaud Démare (FRA) (1/2)  Sam Bennett (IRL) (1/1)  Primož Roglič (SLO) (2/2)
2021  Peter Sagan (SVK) (8/8)  Mark Cavendish (GBR) (4/4)  Fabio Jakobsen (NED) (1/1)
2022  Arnaud Démare (FRA) (2/2)  Wout van Aert (BEL) (1/1)  Mads Pedersen (DEN) (1/1)
2023  Jonathan Milan (ITA) (1/2)  Jasper Philipsen (BEL) (1/1)  Kaden Groves (AUS) (1/1)
2024  Jonathan Milan (ITA) (2/2)
Year Giro d'Italia Tour de France Vuelta a España

A. a Alessandro Petacchi was the Points leader but tested positive for elevated levels of salbutamol, resulting in a suspension and forfeiture of all results during the event. No alternate winner was declared.

Career triples

Winning the points classification in each of the three Grand Tours during a cyclist's career is a significant accomplishment. The Tour/Giro/Vuelta triple has been achieved by five riders:[1]

Natural doubles

Winning the points classification in two Grand Tours in a single year is a rare feat.

The Tour/Giro double has been achieved by one rider:

The Giro/Vuelta double has been achieved by one rider:

The Tour/Vuelta double has been achieved by four riders:

Most points jerseys (Grand Tours)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Results Grand Tours". Cycling Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Erik Zabel admits to 'doping for many years' and resigns from PCC". The Guardian. Press Association. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.