Tour de France Points Classification Winners, 1953 to Present

Written by : Mr Mamil
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The Points Classification (classement par points) in the Tour de France was first introduced in 1953.

It’s also called the green jersey or sprinters’ competition and is the second most important classification after the General Classification.

The rider who leads in the Points Classification wears the green jersey from Day 2 through to Day 21. Each day, there are points on offer on intermediate sprint points and stages with a sprint finish.

Points are offered for the first fifteen riders across the sprint points, ranging from 50 (first) to 1 (fifteenth). Before the start of the Tour de France, the organizers will classify each stage as either Flat, Hilly, Mountainous, or Time Trial. Flat stages have higher sprint points compared to Mountainous stages.

Since 2019, changes have been made to how the points are awarded and favor a sprinter that can climb relatively well on hilly stages as compared to an all-out sprinter.

Most Tour de France Points Classification wins

There are a total of 14 riders who have won the Point Classification more than once.

Peter Sagan has won seven green jerseys in the last 10 years, followed by Erik Zabel with six wins and Sean Kelly with four wins.

Mark Cavendish is the latest winner, having won his second Point Classification in 2021, 10 years after he won his first in 2011.

WinsWinnerNationalityYear
7Peter SaganSlovakia2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
6Erik ZabelGermany1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
4Sean KellyIreland1982, 1983, 1985, 1989
3Jan JanssenNetherlands1964, 1965, 1967
3Eddy MerckxBelgium1969, 1971, 1972
3Freddy MaertensBelgium1976, 1978, 1981
3Djamolidine AbdoujaparovUzbekistan1991, 1993, 1994
3Robbie McEwenAustralia2002, 2004, 2006
2Stan OckersBelgium1955, 1956
2Jean GraczykFrance1958, 1960
2André DarrigadeFrance1959, 1961
2Laurent JalabertFrance1992, 1995
2Thor HushovdNorway2005, 2009
2Mark CavendishGreat Britain2011, 2021

Most Tour de France Points Classification wins by nationality

Belgian riders are the most successful in the Point Classification with 19 wins with 13 different riders. The last win was by Tom Boonen in 2007.

The Belgian riders also finished second on 17 occasions. The French riders finished third on 13 occasions.

Peter Sagan (Slovakia), Mark Cavendish (Great Britain), Thor Hushvod (Norway), Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzbekistan), and Óscar Freire (Spain) are the sole winners from their respective countries.

WinsCountryYearsRidersLast winner
19Belgium1955, 1956, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1988, 200713Tom Boonen
9France1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1977, 1979, 1992, 19957Laurent Jalabert
8Germany1962, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 20013Erik Zabel
7Slovakia2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 20191Peter Sagan
5Australia2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 20173Michael Matthews
5Ireland1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 20202Sam Bennett
4Netherlands1964, 1965, 1967, 19872Jean-Paul van Poppel
3Uzbekistan1991, 1993, 19941Djamolidine Abdoujaparov
2Switzerland1953, 19542Ferdinand Kübler
2Norway2005, 20091Thor Hushvod
2Italy1968, 20102Alessandro Petacchi
2United Kingdom2011, 20211Mark Cavendish
1Spain20081Óscar Freire

List of all Tour de France Points Classification winners, 1953 to present

YearWinnerNationalityPoints
1953Fritz SchärSwitzerland271
1954Ferdinand KüblerSwitzerland215.5
1955Stan OckersBelgium322
1956Stan OckersBelgium280
1957Jean ForestierFrance301
1958Jean GraczykFrance347
1959André DarrigadeFrance613
1960Jean GraczykFrance74
1961André DarrigadeFrance174
1962Rudi AltigGermany173
1963Rik Van LooyBelgium275
1964Jan JanssenNetherlands208
1965Jan JanssenNetherlands144
1966Willy PlanckaertBelgium211
1967Jan JanssenNetherlands154
1968Franco BitossiItaly241
1969Eddy MerckxBelgium244
1970Walter GodefrootBelgium212
1971Eddy MerckxBelgium202
1972Eddy MerckxBelgium196
1973Herman Van SpringelBelgium187
1974Patrick SercuBelgium283
1975Rik Van LindenBelgium342
1976Freddy MaertensBelgium293
1977Jacques EsclassanFrance236
1978Freddy MaertensBelgium242
1979Bernard HinaultFrance253
1980Rudy PevenageBelgium194
1981Freddy MaertensBelgium428
1982Sean KellyIreland429
1983Sean KellyIreland360
1984Frank HosteBelgium322
1985Sean KellyIreland434
1986Eric VanderaerdenBelgium277
1987Jean-Paul van PoppelNetherlands263
1988Eddy PlanckaertBelgium278
1989Sean KellyIreland277
1990Olaf LudwigGermany256
1991Djamolidine AbdoujaparovUzbekistan316
1992Laurent JalabertFrance293
1993Djamolidine AbdoujaparovUzbekistan298
1994Djamolidine AbdoujaparovUzbekistan322
1995Laurent JalabertFrance333
1996Erik ZabelGermany335
1997Erik ZabelGermany350
1998Erik ZabelGermany327
1999Erik ZabelGermany323
2000Erik ZabelGermany321
2001Erik ZabelGermany252
2002Robbie McEwenAustralia280
2003Baden CookeAustralia216
2004Robbie McEwenAustralia272
2005Thor HushovdNorway194
2006Robbie McEwenAustralia288
2007Tom BoonenBelgium256
2008Óscar FreireSpain270
2009Thor HushovdNorway280
2010Alessandro PetacchiItaly243
2011Mark CavendishGreat Britain334
2012Peter SaganSlovakia421
2013Peter SaganSlovakia409
2014Peter SaganSlovakia431
2015Peter SaganSlovakia432
2016Peter SaganSlovakia470
2017Michael MatthewsAustralia370
2018Peter SaganSlovakia477
2019Peter SaganSlovakia316
2020Sam BennettIreland380
2021Mark CavendishGreat Britain337

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