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The 2021 Tour de France will start on 26 June from Brest in the Brittany region of France and end at Paris’s Champs-Élysées, surrounded by enthusiastic fans and spectators.
This is the 108th edition of the coveted cycling event, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic still causing sporting events around the world to be canceled or rescheduled, the 2021 Tour de France will go ahead.
Last year’s Tour de France was postponed due to the pandemic. However, this year, the 2021 Tour de France has been advanced so that the Grand Tour ends before the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 kicks off.
2021 Tour de France: Schedule, routes and terrain
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The 2020 Tour de France saw UAE Team Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar win not only the famous yellow jersey but also the polka-dotted and white jersey. But what do these jerseys signify?
2021 Tour de France: How to watch in the US
There are various categories and the jerseys are presented to the winner of those categories. The categories are overall race winner (General Classification), points classification winner, mountain classification winner and best young rider. There are also non-classification winners such as combativity and team competition.
TOUR DE FRANCE YELLOW JERSEY: OVERALL CLASSIFICATION WINNER
The Tour de France yellow jersey is the most important jersey in the history of cycling. The Maillot Jaune, is awarded to the overall race winner who finished the whole 21 stages in the least amount of time, thereby topping the general classification category of the race.
Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia clocked 87 hours, 20 minutes and five seconds to win the 2020 Tour de France yellow jersey. Only four cyclists so far have won the yellow jersey five times: Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault of France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Miguel Indurain of Spain.
2021 Tour de France: When and where to watch, TV and LIVE streaming details
TOUR DE FRANCE GREEN JERSEY: POINTS CLASSIFICATION WINNER
The Maillot Vert is awarded to the rider with the most points at the end of the race. Points vary from one stage to another, with most points being awarded at the flat terrain stage.
The color of the jersey is green because the initial sponsor was a lawn mower manufacturer. The color of the jersey changed in 1968 for a new sponsor but reverted to its original color later on. Peter Sagan of Slovakia has won the jersey the most number of times with seven wins. Sam Bennett of Ireland won the green jersey in the 2020 Tour de France.
TOUR DE FRANCE POLKA-DOT JERSEY: MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION WINNER
The Polka-dotted jersey is awarded to the leader of the mountain stages. Points are awarded depending on the severity of the climbs. There are five categories with one (1) signifying the most difficult and four (4) being the least.
The Hors Categorie is the most challenging climb. Riders are awarded more points in tougher ascents. HC will see the top eight cyclists earning points. In the fourth or least difficult category, only the first rider gets points.
In the end, the rider with the most points after all the mountain stages, gets the Maillot à Pois Rouges. Although the award was introduced in 1933, the jersey first appeared only in 1975.
Vicente Trueba of Spain was the first winner of the polka-dot jersey. Tadej Pogačar won the 2020 Tour de France polka-dot jersey. Richard Virenque of France has won the jersey seven times.
TOUR DE FRANCE WHITE JERSEY: YOUNG RIDER CLASSIFICATION WINNER
The white jersey is awarded to the youngest rider who has completed the race in the least amount of time. The cut-off age for this category is under-26. The jersey was introduced in 1975. Before 1975, the white jersey was awarded to the rider leading the combination of general points and mountain classifications.
Tadej Pogačar, who was 21 during the 2020 Tour de France (turning 22 two days after the completion of the race), won the white jersey. Jan Ullrich of Germany and Andy Schleck of Luxembourg have won the white jersey the most number of times, with three wins each.
2021 TOUR DE FRANCE: COMBATIVITY AND TEAM AWARD
The combativity award is a non-classification award given to the cyclist who is adjudicated by the jury as the most attacking rider. Marc Hirschi of Switzerland won the combativity award in the 2020 Tour de France.
The Team award is given to the team with the three fastest riders from the same squad. Team leaders wear their race numbers in yellow with black numerics. The Movistar Team of Spain won the award in the 2020 Tour de France.
