Classification Jerseys
In addition to the race for the overall win (GC Leader), there are several additional competitions: Sprinter (Points), King of the Mountain (KOM), Best Young Rider (Under 25), and Most Aggressive Rider . The leaders of each of these competitions are presented with distinctly colored jerseys, which they are required to wear during the next stage. Jerseys are awarded in a ceremony immediately following each stage. Sponsorships are important in cycling so the rider's team is allowed a part of the jersey for their advertisement.
Overall (General Classification, or GC) Leader
The jersey worn by the overall time leader is the most
prized. It is awarded by calculating the total combined race time up to
that point for each rider. The rider with the lowest total time is the
leader, and at the end of the event is declared the overall winner of
the stage race. The color of the jersey is set by the race's corporate
advertising; the tradition of a yellow leaders jersey comes from the
early Tour de France and their newspaper sponsor that printed on yellow
paper.
Sprint (Points)
Competition
A differnt jersey is awarded for sprint points. In Tour de France tradition, this is the green jersey. At the end of each stage, points for this jersey are earned by the riders who finish first, second, etc. Additional points are available at intermediate sprint contests, usually occurring 2 or 3 times in each stage at pre-determined locations.
Because the Sprint Competition is often very close, photo finishing cameras are used to determine the winner. Sometimes even with the assistance of this sophisticated equipment it is difficult to determine who came in first!
King of the Mountains
The "King of the Mountains" is the third most important jersey. At the Tour de France, it is a jersey with red polka dots. At the top of each important climb in the stage race, there are points for the riders who are first over the top. The climbs are divided into categories from 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) based on their difficulty, measured as a function of their steepness and length. A fifth category, called Hors categorie (outside category), is formed by the most difficult mountain climbs.
Best Young Rider
There are three lesser classifications, though only one of them awards the leader with a jersey. The white jersey is like the yellow jersey, but only open for young riders who are under 25 years old on January 1 of the year the race is ridden.
Most Competitive Rider
The "fighting spirit" award goes to the most competitive rider of the previous stage. Each day, a group of judges awards points to riders who made particularly attacking moves during the day's racing, and the rider with most points in total gets a white-on-red (instead of a black-on-white) identification number for the next day. At the end of the tour, an award is given to the rider who was thought to be the most aggressive bike racer throughout the entire stage race.
Team GC (General Classification )
The Team Classification is calculated by adding together the times of the top three riders of a team after each stage. The team classification is not associated with a particular jersey design, and is only awarded after the final stage. Twenty or more professional teams may be invited to race in a stage race. Each team usually consists of about 8 riders depending on the race's rules.