AI quick summary
- The Tour is a 21-stage, three-week stage race; the rider with the lowest cumulative time wins the yellow jersey.
- There are four main classifications: general (yellow), points (green), mountains (polka dot), and young rider (white).
- Teams of eight ride together — most riders are 'domestiques' working in service of their team leader.
/ 01
The basics
The Tour de France is a stage race: roughly 21 stages raced over three weeks in July, covering around 3,500 km across France and occasionally beyond. Each stage is a race in itself, but the overall winner is decided by total time across all of them.
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How the winner is decided
The General Classification (GC) tracks each rider's cumulative time across every stage. The rider with the lowest total time wears the yellow jersey (maillot jaune) and leads the race. Whoever is in yellow after the final stage on the Champs-Élysées wins the Tour. Time gaps are opened mainly in the mountains and time trials, while flat stages usually end in bunch sprints with all riders finishing near-simultaneously.
/ 03
The four classifications
Alongside the overall, three other jerseys are contested. The green jersey goes to the points classification leader (sprinters and consistent high finishers). The polka-dot jersey goes to the mountains (King of the Mountains) leader. The white jersey goes to the best young rider (under 26) on general classification. See our jerseys guide for the detail.
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Teams and roles
Twenty-two teams of eight riders each start the Tour. Each team usually has one or two protected leaders chasing the GC or stage wins; the rest are domestiques — riders who shelter the leader from wind, fetch bottles and food, set pace, and give up bikes if needed. Sprinters, climbers, puncheurs, and time-trialists all play different roles across the three weeks.
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Why stages matter differently
Flat sprint stages rarely change the GC — the overall contenders finish together and save energy. Mountain stages and time trials are where the GC is won and lost, because that's where time gaps open. Breakaways win on hilly and transition stages when the GC teams are happy to let a small group go. Understanding this makes the three weeks far more watchable.
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How to follow it
Follow the jersey standings each day, but watch for the real story: who attacks on the climbs, who's forced to chase, and where time gaps open. Stage recaps and highlights are enough for most fans — you don't need to watch every kilometre live to keep up with the GC.
/ SOURCES