Tour de France Green Jersey points allocation in the 2026 TdF

[RedheadDane]

Now, I'm not gonna lie; I'm obviously very biased. I think it's really cool that Denmark has not only someone who has won the GC in all three GTs, but also someone who has won* the point jersey in all three GTs.
However, if there was a sprinter, who had won - or at least finished "up there" - on all the sprint stages, then it would have felt rather wrong if he didn't win green.







*"7-9-13", *Knock on wood*, and all that.

 

[RedheadDane]

(I mean... if other people want to do the work of starting a new thread...)

 

[wirral]

However, if there was a sprinter, who had won - or at least finished "up there" - on all the sprint stages, then it would have felt rather wrong if he didn't win green.

Tim Merlier? (who didn't give a toss about green)

The points allocation is heavily slanted to the sprinters but the rules are the same for everyone and if you want to win it, you have to go out in the breaks and pick up the intermediate sprints. Only 3 riders tried with any level of success and persistence and Pedersen was the best.

If the Tour wanted a pure sprinter and a pure sprinter only to win green, it would have no intermediate sprints or reduce the points available or have them before any classified climbs, which would be hard to plan on the mountainous stages.

So, in summary, yes, the allocation of green jersey points was fair.

 

[RedheadDane]

Tim Merlier? (who didn't give a toss about green)

The fact that he didn't finish also speaks against him.

 

[wirral]

The fact that he didn't finish also speaks against him.

If you
i) Divide all intermediate sprint points by 10
ii) Change the points for winning a sprint stage from 70 to 200
iii) Introduce a 10 point deduction for leaving the race rather than eviction from the points competition

then.....

Tim Merlier wins the green jersey.

 

[RedheadDane]

If you
i) Divide all intermediate sprint points by 10
ii) Change the points for winning a sprint stage from 70 to 200
iii) Introduce a 10 point deduction for leaving the race rather than eviction from the points competition

then.....

Tim Merlier wins the green jersey.

Okay, maybe the sprinter in question would need to also at least try to be up there in the Intermediate Sprints - those not after a HC climb at any rate - as well.
But if a guy like Philipsen had won/finished on the podium in all the sprint stages, wouldn't you say he'd be deserving of green?

But anyway; I agree that the point allocation is good like it is. Because it allows for a dominant sprinter to win, while also allow for a different approach to be possible.

And just to be clear; even if there was five pancake flat sprint stages, one guy won them all - and as many Intermediates as possible - but he then OTLed on the final mountain stage, he obviously shouldn't win green.
Basic rule of stage racing; you need to finish the race to win a jersey.

 

[Potomac]

The fact that he didn't finish also speaks against him.

I disagree. The points Jersey pretty much meaningless. Yellow is big, stage wins are big. All other jerseys and awards are trivial.

 

[wirral]

I think if any sprinter podiumed all the sprint stages, they would be pretty untouchable under the current system. The minimum, before any intermediate points, would be 5 x 40 = 200.

If they averaged 5th in the intermediate sprints, there's another 19 x 12 = 228.