Team classification in the Tour de France

The team classification is a prize given in the Tour de France to the best team in the race. It has been awarded since 1930, and the calculation has changed throughout the years. There is no colored jersey for this, but the numbers on the jerseys of the members of the team with the best performance in the general classification at the end of the previous stage are against a yellow background instead of white.

Team classification

Sport	Road bicycle racing
Competition	Tour de France
Awarded for	Best team
Local name	Classement d'équipes (French)
History
First award	1930
Editions	85 (as of 2021)
First winner	France
Most recent	Team Jumbo Visma

History

The "Challenge Martini" trophy for 1956, won by the Belgian national team

In the early years of the Tour de France, cyclists entered as individuals. Although they had sponsors, they were not allowed to work as a team, because tour organiser Henri Desgrange wanted the Tour de France to be a display of individual strength. In those years, cyclists could also participate unsponsored. They were categorized under different names; 1909-1914: Isolés; 1919: Categorie B; 1920-1922: 2° Classe; 1923-1926: Touristes-Routiers; 1937: Individuels.

In 1930, Henri Desgrange gave up the idea that cyclist should race individually, and changed the format to real teams. He was still against sponsors assistance, so the cyclists were grouped in countries. This was the situation in the Tours of 1930–1961 and 1967–1968. Between 1962 and 1966 and after 1969, sponsored teams entered the race.

At the introduction of teams in 1930, a prize for the winning team was introduced, then called the Challenge international. In 1930, the classification was calculated by adding the times of the three best cyclists in the general classification.

In 1961, the calculation was changed. The team classification was changed into a points system, where a team received one point for the best team-time in the stage, and the team with the most points was the winner. This system was also used in 1962, but in 1963 the calculation was reverted to the time calculation. In the 1970s, this system was reintroduced as the team points competition, although in a different way: after every stage, all cyclists received points (1 for the winner, 2 for the second, etc.) and these were added, and the team with the fewest points was the winner of the team points classification.

Between 1952 and 1990, the team classification leaders could be recognized by yellow caps, until helmets became mandatory. Since 2006 the best team has worn black on yellow back numbers. Beginning in 2012 the best team was awarded the right, but not the obligation, to wear yellow helmets.

Status

The team classification is considered less important than the individual general classification, and it is rare that a team starts the Tour with the main goal of winning the team classification. If during the race a team is in a good position to win the team classification, the team may change tactics in order to win.

When Lance Armstrong lost hopes of winning in 2010, he instructed his teammates to keep an eye on their main rivals for the team classification, and his Team RadioShack won the team classification.

A good performance in the team classification may help a team to qualify for the next Tour de France. In 2010, a system was set up to determine which teams qualify as UCI ProTeams, and the team classification in the Tour de France was part of this system.

Calculation

As of 2011, the team classification is calculated by adding the times of the three best riders of each team per stage; time bonuses and penalties are ignored. In a team time trial, the team gets the time of the fifth rider of that team to cross the finish, or the last rider if there are fewer than five left for the team. If a team has fewer than three cyclists remaining, it is removed from this classification.

Winners

Team classification

Team classification winners

Year Team 1930 France 1931 Belgium 1932 Italy 1933 France 1934 France 1935 Belgium 1936 Belgium 1937 France 1938 Belgium 1939 Belgium B 1947 Italy 1948 Belgium A 1949 Italy A 1950 Belgium A 1951 France 1952 Italy 1953 Netherlands 1954 Switzerland 1955 France 1956 Belgium

Year Team 1957 France 1958 Belgium 1959 Belgium 1960 France 1961 France 1962 Saint-Raphaël–Helyett–Hutchinson 1963 Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–R. Geminiani 1964 Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune 1965 Kas–Kaskol 1966 Kas–Kaskol 1967 France 1968 Spain 1969 Faema 1970 Salvarani 1971 Bic 1972 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1973 Bic 1974 Kas–Kaskol 1975 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1976 Kas–Campagnolo

Year Team 1977 TI–Raleigh 1978 Miko–Mercier–Vivagel 1979 Renault–Gitane 1980 Miko–Mercier–Vivagel 1981 Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 1982 COOP–Mercier–Mavic 1983 TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo 1984 Renault–Elf 1985 La Vie Claire 1986 La Vie Claire 1987 Système U 1988 PDM–Ultima–Concorde 1989 PDM–Ultima–Concorde 1990 Z–Tomasso 1991 Banesto 1992 Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 1993 Carrera Jeans–Tassoni 1994 Festina–Lotus 1995 ONCE 1996 Festina–Lotus

Year Team 1997 Team Telekom 1998 Cofidis 1999 Banesto 2000 Kelme–Costa Blanca 2001 Kelme–Costa Blanca 2002 ONCE–Eroski 2003 Team CSC 2004 T-Mobile Team 2005 T-Mobile Team 2006 T-Mobile Team 2007 Discovery Channel 2008 CSC–Saxo Bank 2009 Astana 2010 Team RadioShack 2011 Garmin–Cervélo 2012 RadioShack–Nissan 2013 Saxo–Tinkoff 2014 Ag2r–La Mondiale 2015 Movistar Team 2016 Movistar Team

Year Team 2017 Team Sky 2018 Movistar Team 2019 Movistar Team 2020 Movistar Team 2021 Team Bahrain Victorious 2022 Ineos Grenadiers 2023 Team Jumbo–Visma

Team points classification

Between 1973 and 1989, there was an additional team points classification.

Team points classification winners

Year Team 1973 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1974 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1975 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1976 Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson 1977 Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 1978 TI–Raleigh–McGregor 1979 Renault–Gitane 1980 TI–Raleigh–Creda

Year Team 1981 Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 1982 TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo 1983 TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo 1984 Panasonic–Raleigh 1985 La Vie Claire 1986 Panasonic–Merckx–Agu 1987 Système U 1988 PDM–Ultima–Concorde

See also

• Team classification in the Giro d'Italia
• Team classification in the Vuelta a España

Bibliography

• Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-300-2.
• van den Akker, Pieter (2018). Tour de France Rules and Statistics: 1903–2018. Self-published. ISBN 978-1-79398-080-9.