Green Jersey

In road bicycle racing, particularly Grand Tours, the green jersey is a special jersey awarded to the rider who finishes most consistently high in a specific competition. While the Tour de France's overall leader wears yellow, the green jersey (or maillot vert) designates the points competition leader. Since 2009, the Vuelta a España has also used a green jersey for its points leader. However, in the Giro d'Italia, from 1974 to 2011, the green jersey was worn by the King of the Mountains, the best climber.

Several races use the green jersey for the points classification (often called the sprinters' competition): the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de l'Avenir, Tour de Georgia, Tour de Romandie, Tour of Ireland, and the Tour of California (where it is called the sprints classification). Other events have used the green jersey for the mountains classification (King of the Mountains): the Giro d'Italia (as the maglia verde from 1974 to 2011), the Tour de Pologne, and the Vuelta a España (before 2008). As of 2009, no major race uses the green jersey for the sprinters' competition while also using the polka dot jersey for the climbers.