Should GT young rider classification be changed?

[Netserk]

Even the combination classification was less superfluous than the young rider competition.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right, not GT - obviously - but what I do find silly is when a lower-ranked race has the same age-gap as GTs.
For example Gaudu won it in Haut Var this year, I'd say he's a bit too old to be the BYR in a cat.1 race. Otoh, I'm actually fine with how it is in Dauphine, even though if it was a U23 competition, Skjelmose would be leading.

I hope that made sense...

 

[Valanga]

Maybe it should be the Best Rookie jersey, only guys who are in their first tour can compete for it? How many riders this year are in their first tour?

So this made me wonder who would have won this "Tour de France Rookie Jersey" in the past 10 Tours.
Unless I made a mistake, this should be it:

() = place in GC.

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2020	POGAČAR Tadej (1)	LÓPEZ Miguel Ángel (6)	CARAPAZ Richard (13)
2019	MEURISSE Xandro (21)	MAS Enric (22)	DE PLUS Laurens (23)
2018	BERNAL Egan (15)	GAUDU David (34)	BERNARD Julien (35)
2017	BETANCUR Carlos (18)	BENOOT Tiesj (20)	MARTIN Guillaume (23)
2016	HENAO Sergio (12)	ARU Fabio (13)	ZAKARIN Ilnur (25)
2015	BARGUIL Warren (14)	PANTANO Jarlinson (19)	JUNGELS Bob (27)
2014	KÖNIG Leopold (7)	KANGERT Tanel (20)	GASTAUER Ben (21)
2013	QUINTANA Nairo (2)	TALANSKY Andrew (10)	KWIATKOWSKI Michał (11)
2012	PINOT Thibaut (10)	KRUIJSWIJK Steven (33)	MARTIN Dan (35)
2011	DANIELSON Tom (9)	PERAUD Jean-Christophe (10)	JEANNESSON Arnold (15)

Current standings:

1	Vingegaard Jonas (3)	5:32
2	O'Connor Ben (5)	5:58
3	Cattaneo Mattia (11)	15:35
4	Paret-Peintre Aurélien (12)	24:44
5	Guerreiro Ruben (21)	47:37
6	Bonnamour Franck (32)	1:03:12
7	Donovan Mark (50)	1:24:38
8	Rodríguez Cristián (58)	1:30:18
9	Rutsch Jonas (60)	1:30:51
10	Van Moer Brent (61)	1:30:59
11	de la Parte Víctor (69)	1:38:56
12	Sweeny Harry (81)	1:45:37
13	Aranburu Alex (84)	1:46:53
14	Rota Lorenzo (85)	1:47:02
15	Geoghegan Hart Tao (87)	1:47:21
16	Bissegger Stefan (88)	1:47:33
17	Godon Dorian (90)	1:48:10
18	Doubey Fabien (91)	1:48:33
19	Rickaert Jonas (93)	1:49:07
20	Armirail Bruno (94)	1:50:01
21	Boivin Guillaume (98)	1:52:27
22	McNulty Brandon (100)	1:56:50
23	Sbaragli Kristian (101)	1:58:15
24	Fernández Rubén (104)	1:58:54
25	Arcas Jorge (111)	2:03:48
26	Ballerini Davide (114)	2:06:23
27	Zimmermann Georg (115)	2:08:48
28	Eekhoff Nils (116)	2:09:46
29	Wright Fred (121)	2:10:51
30	Bjerg Mikkel (127)	2:14:26
31	Wallays Jelle (128)	2:15:03
32	Barbero Carlos (133)	2:21:06
33	Schelling Ide (138)	2:23:50
34	Bennett Sean (143)	2:27:09
35	Goldstein Omer (144)	2:27:14
36	Cabot Jérémy (148)	2:37:45

 

[Izzyeviel]

^ That's a quality list

 

[YavorD]

Well but that would also lead to strange results. See 2016.. Henao would win, but he was hardly a GT rookie. A 28 (?) years old, proven guy who had like 6 GT's in his legs before that tour...yeah, first tour, but...? Also, I don't think there would be a lot of excitement among the fans if that jersey can be won by a rider outside of top 20 (like Meurisse)
The problem with the white jersey is that we rarely have closely matched young riders who are leaders in their teams.
Maybe give it a few more years and see if guys like Ayuso will be GT contender by 21. If more riders start fighting for wins like Pog/Remco/Bernal by the age of 21, then drop the U23 races down to say U21 and make young riders competition U23. You wont always have exciting competition, but that's the case with all the other competition, isn't it? Plus IIRC very few white jersey winners doesn't turn out to be very capable (or even really TOP) riders, so it gives a hint what you can expect. Latour is the "worst" winner in the last 20 years and he is a good rider.
And if a rider is good enough to win it 2-3 times in a row, so be it. I'd so much prefer having Pog as a winner than a possible outcome when the 20th in GC 30 years old (maybe even random..) rider wins the jersey.

 

[Panda Claws]

It's a matter of perspective too in my opinion. I personally don't look upon the Young Rider classification as a competition (because as you said there is rarely a real competition there) but just as an added badge of honour that interesting prospects may get to wear.

 

[RedheadDane]

See 2016.. Henao would win, but he was hardly a GT rookie. A 28 (?) years old, proven guy who had like 6 GT's in his legs before that tour...yeah, first tour, but...?

Suppose you could change it to be generally GT rookie, regardless of which one.

 

[YavorD]

Suppose you could change it to be generally GT rookie, regardless of which one.

This could work but then the leader in this classification right now would be Franck Bonnamour (?).. There would be a grand total of 5 (or so..) guys left eligible.. It still wouldn't be great competition, with all the respect to him/them. Last year's winner would be Harold Tejada..

 

[Anderis]

I've just seen the young rider classification at the Tour and I don't understand one thing - can someone explain me why Alejandro Valverde is excluded from it?

 

[Bonimenier]

Roglic is the only rider not qualified for the young rider classification to have won a GT since the Giro 2019. This trend will go on this Tour with Pogacar winning and is likely to continue in the Vuelta as well with the Slovenians and Bernal being the favourites.

 

[Valanga]

Suppose you could change it to be generally GT rookie, regardless of which one.

Not sure. Maybe that would work for Vuelta or Giro. But the Tour is the Tour.
It doesn't mean anything that you already did the Vuelta before, the Tour is on a completely different level.

 

[movingtarget]

White jersey is fine but I'd like to see a combination Jersey as well.

 

[saunaking]

Haven't read through this thread but yes, of course!!
I dont know exactly what the new number should be- 21? 23??
Certainly not more that that

HOWEVER - if you have been eligible for the young rider jersey in a race, you CANNOT be eligible again in following years.
Pog could probably retire as one of the best stage racers ever while still wearing young riders jerseys at all his races for crying out loud

 

[saunaking]

generally the riders of U23 are not in world tour and are not supposed to participate in WT.

Ok boomer

The sport is only just starting to move in that direction

 

[ciranda]

If the white jersey competition in this Tour de France was for U23s three riders would be part of it. If it was for U21s no one would.

 

[Leinster]

If the white jersey in this Tour de France was for U23s three riders would be part of it. If it was for U21s no one would.

Yeah, these aren’t solutions. Cycling is still a sport for late bloomers. The recent crop of GTs being won by youngsters is more likely generational than a long term trend.