Category Archives: Tour de France

What does the Yellow Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Yellow Jersey, or maillot jaune, is the symbol perhaps most closely associated with the Tour de France worldwide. It designates the leader of the General Classification, or the overall, collective time of all stages together. It can change hands often throughout the entirety of the race and can be won without winning a single stage of the Tour.

Its beginnings date back to 1919, when the Tour de France founder, Henri Desgrange, decided that the leader of the race needed to be clearly identified with bright colors as he rode through the night. Today, a new Yellow Jersey is printed for each day of the Tour that it changes hands, and each one is imprinted with “HD” in honor of Desgrange himself.

Winners of the Yellow Jersey are awarded a trophy, cash prize, and final jersey of the race. The current record for overall Yellow Jersey wins is five, shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain.

What does the Green Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Green Jersey, or maillot vert, is also often referred to as “the sprinter’s jersey,” although this is a slight misnomer. Green Jersey winners accumulate the most points throughout the entirety of the race. They can earn these points for sprint wins, finishing in the top three places of a stage, or at intermediate sprints in the middle of a stage. Many of these contests take place during flatter stages, so sprinters have an advantage, but the Green Jersey winners are racers with more grit, persistence, and consistency across the entirety of the race.

Peter Sagan, who still races today, is the current record holder for most Green Jersey wins. Green Jersey winners are awarded cash prizes, trophies, and an overall jersey.

What does the Polka Dot Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Polka Dot Jersey, or “King of the Mountains Jersey,” is given to the best climber in the Tour, or the racer who has accumulated the most points for winning mountaintop finishes. Many times, the winner of the Polka Dot Jersey and Yellow Jersey are very close in standings, as mountaintop finishes play a huge role in the strategy of the overall race.

The Tour de France classifies climbs based on length, grade, and overall difficulty, where “category 4” is the least difficult and “hors categorie” is the most difficult. Difficult climbs offer more points for winners, and therefore the lightest, best climbers have an advantage in this jersey battle.

The current record-holder for most Polka Dot Jersey wins is French rider Richard Virenque, who has won it seven times. Polka Dot Jersey winners are awarded cash prizes, trophies, and an overall jersey.

What does the White Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The White Jersey, or maillot blanc, is given to the best-placed rider overall under the age of 25. This classification began in 1975. Before 1975, there was a white jersey awarded to the overall best-ranked cyclist in points, climbs, and time, but then was changed to go to best “neo-pro” or new, inexperienced professional.

Experience the Tour with Trek Travel

Trek Travel can get you closer than you ever thought possible to all of these jerseys. Our Tour de France bike tours include visits to the podium, special access to the teams, and even VIP views of the finish lines and jersey presentations. It’s a chance to see the race and its history like never before as you witness the battles for each jersey with your own eyes.

For nearly twenty years, Trek Travel has been taking our guests to experience the greatest race on earth— the Tour de France. We don’t just go to the sidelines — we bring you into the heart of the action.

Our History at the Tour de France

Back in 2011, Trek Travel became an Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France — a distinction that unlocks exclusive privileges for our guests. With VIP access to stage starts and finishes, the chance to ride on roads closed to the general public fully supported by guides both on bikes and in a van, and even the unforgettable opportunity to cross the finish line and pose on the official podium, our guests don’t just watch history — they live it.

Exclusive Access with the LIDL-Trek Pro Team

Our long-standing connection to the LIDL-Trek team takes our guests even deeper into the world of pro racing. You’ll get rare behind-the-scenes access: it could be a Q&A with the riders, close-up access to the team bus and at-work mechanics, or even the opportunity to watch warmups from the team area. With Trek Travel, you truly ride with the pros and experience the Tour de France like an insider.

Always Evolving

Each year, the Tour de France route changes, but our experience ensures that we deliver the best Tour de France stage tours, no matter where the race goes. From legendary mountain climbs to finish line sprints through villages lined with supporters, our local on-the-ground guides use their experience and in-depth regional knowledge to carefully craft Tour de France travel itineraries that guarantee the best rides, the best viewing spots, and the best hotels, all within close proximity to the race. No two years will ever be the same but whether you want to ride the Tour de France course ahead of the pros or need expert Tour de France vacation planning, we know how to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime cycling experience.

The Paris Finale

The 2025 Tour de Tour returns to its historic finish on the cobblestones of the Champs-Élysées in Paris — and as always we will be right at the center of this legendary moment. From the exclusive VIP area, guests watch the riders as they power through their final laps around the Place de la Concorde. With a glass of champagne in hand and the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the distance, they’ll celebrate the 112th Tour de France finale. Whether you choose to take in the triumphant finish from our VIP access areas or soak up the excitement at street level, we ensure your Tour de France vacation planning is seamless and unforgettable — giving you insider Tour de France spectator tips and the ultimate Paris viewing experience to celebrate cycling’s most iconic moment in grand style.

The Tour de France Femmes

In 2025, Trek Travel invites you to experience the thrill of the women’s Tour de France with our Tour de France Femmes Ultimate Alps VIP Team and Race Access bike tour. On this exclusive trip, you’ll witness the world’s top female cyclists battle it out in the breathtaking French Alps as they chase the coveted yellow jersey.

While the men’s Tour de France draws massive media fanfare and a frenzy of global attention, the women’s race is quietly building something powerful. There’s a magic to the atmosphere of the TDFF: it’s more intimate, more grounded, and offers fans a rare closeness to the riders themselves. Without so many layers of media hype, you feel the raw spirit of cycling — the camaraderie, the grit, and the sheer joy of the sport. Watching the women’s peloton surge through the Alps feels like stepping back into the golden days of the Tour de France, when it was all about the road, the riders, and the race. This is the moment where women’s cycling is gathering momentum, and you have a front-row seat.

On this journey, you’ll enjoy ultimate VIP access, getting you behind the ropes with the LIDL Trek Women’s Team and into the center of the action at premium viewing spots. With Official VIP race passes, you’ll cheer the riders off as they take on the Queen stage from Chambéry to Col de la Madeleine, and then you’ll take on the iconic Col du Corbier—featured seven times in the Tour de France, with its last appearance in 1988. Arriving in Châtel just before the pros, you’ll get an exclusive vantage point aboard an official VIP luxury open-top bus to watch the racers close in on the finish line.

Your accommodations are handpicked hotels nestled against the stunning backdrop of the Alps and the crystal-clear waters of Lake Annecy and Bourget — the perfect base to enjoy both the heart-stopping race and Alpine riding. With Trek Travel’s signature touches, this isn’t just a bike tour — it’s history, or better yet, herstory, in the making.

Epic Race Moments

Each and every Tour de France trip offers the possibility for epic adventure and the chance to witness historic race moments. From famous ascents up legendary climbs like Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez to thrilling finishes in Paris, our guests have seen cycling history made, time and time again.

How about when Jens Voigt waved to our tour group spectating from Chalet Renard just before entering the iconic moonscape of the Mont Ventoux?

Or in 2022, when we conquered the epic Pyrenean giant—Hautacam—early in the morning before the pros. Our expert guides flawlessly handled the logistics, some leading the group on bikes while others provided full support from the vans. At the summit, we experienced the Tour de France like true French cycling fans, enjoying an unforgettable roadside boulangerie-style picnic. As the roadside transformed into an arena of passion, we caught polka dot shirts hurled from the passing caravan and joined the roaring crowds, shouting “Allez! Allez!” as Vingegaard powered to victory atop the mountain.

Or picture 2024, when the Tour finished in Nice, and we had front-row seats to witness Pogačar and Vingegaard’s epic showdown in the decisive individual time trial. We privatized the iconic Hotel Negresco, right on the Promenade des Anglais, and celebrated with a beachfront BBQ and live music. That evening, we treated our guests to an exclusive moment with LIDL-Trek’s Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone, cocktails in hand, overlooking the Mediterranean.

If we’re lucky, we might even spot a celebrity or two at our viewing spots — but the true magic of our Tour de France cycling tours goes beyond these epic race moments. It’s about sharing the journey with your guides and fellow guests and forging lifelong friendships along the way.

Join one of our Trek Travel Tour de France cycling tours and discover why we are the gold standard in Pro Race Tours. This isn’t just a vacation — it’s your front-row seat to cycling history.