In the
Tour de France, one of the three
Grand Tours of professional stage
cycling,[1][2] the
yellow jersey is given to the leader of the general classification. The Tour de France is the most famous road cycling event in the world, and is held annually in the month of July.[3] Although all riders compete together, the winners of the Tour are divided into
classifications, each best known by the coloured jersey that is worn by the leader of it; the
general classification (GC), represented by the maillot jaune (yellow jersey), is for the overall leader in terms of the lowest time.[4][5] The other individual classifications in the Tour de France are the
points classification, also known as the
sprinters' classification (green jersey), the
mountains classification (polka dot jersey), and the
young rider classification (white jersey).[1][4]
The first Tour de France was in 1903, but the first Dutch cyclists started only in 1936.[6] Already in that first year,
Theo Middelkamp won a stage,[6] but it would take until 1951 before
Wim van Est was the first Dutch cyclists to wear the yellow jersey.[7] Between 1989 and 2019, the yellow jersey has never been worn by a Dutch cyclist.[8]
List
"Obtained" refers to the date and stage where the rider secured the lead of the general classification at the finish; the rider would first wear the yellow jersey in the stage after, where he would start the day as leader. "Relinquished" refers to the date and stage where the rider lost the lead, and therefore was not wearing the yellow jersey the following stage.
List of Dutch cyclists who wore the yellow jersey[9][10]
E. ^ : Jan Raas had also won the prologue, but the tour organisation decided not to count that prologue for the general classification because the weather had changed during the race.
F. ^ : Zoetemelk was upgraded to first place after
Michel Pollentier was caught in a doping incident.
G. ^ : Zoetemelk was the second Dutch winner of the Tour de France.
References
^
abCoyle, Daniel (2005). Tour de Force. London: CollinsWillow. pp. 316–321.
ISBN0-00-720922-3.