A Temporary Historical past of the Vuelta a España ŠKODA Inexperienced Jersey

As well as, the primary 5 cyclists in a stage acquired 12 factors for each minute they arrived forward of the stage’s sixth-place finisher. For each level scored for the mountains classification, two factors got for the factors classification. Factors is also received on intermediate sprints: eight for the winner, six for the second, 4 and two for the third and fourth, respectively. The factors classification was then sponsored by the Italian tire producer Pirelli and the chief wore a blue jersey with yellow fish on it.

Although Pirelli mentioned the factors classification competitors had been an incredible success, it was dropped from the race for 10 years, reappearing within the 1955 Vuelta with a modified methodology of calculating factors. Then it used the strategy of including up the stage ranks, as did the factors classification within the Tour de France on the time. This meant that the rider with the fewest factors received the competitors. And, simply as within the Tour, the chief of the factors classification now wore a inexperienced jersey. In 1963, the factors system modified in order that factors got to the primary cyclists to achieve the end, and the bike owner with essentially the most factors was the chief.

Not like within the Tour de France, the inexperienced jersey within the Vuelta has not essentially been the unique property of the sprinters. That’s as a result of an equal variety of factors had been historically awarded within the mountains as within the flat phases. Due to the excessive variety of mountain phases and summit finishes within the Vuelta, there has usually been a correlation between the overall classification and the inexperienced jersey. For instance, Alejandro Valverde, who has by no means been generally known as an incredible sprinter, has received the Vuelta inexperienced jersey 4 instances, as did the French puncheur Laurent Jalabert.

Talking of Alejandro Valverde, it was him who turned the primary holder of the ŠKODA Inexperienced Jersey in 2015; the yr that marked the start of ŠKODA’s sponsorship of the Vuelta’s inexperienced jersey. It’s a pure partnership, contemplating the truth that ŠKODA started operations as a producer of bicycles in 1895.

Chris Froome received the ŠKODA Inexperienced Jersey in 2017 and three-time Vuelta GC winner Primož Roglič received it in 2019 and 2020, whereas additionally profitable the GC these years. Nevertheless, sprinters have additionally had their share of green-jersey success within the race, with three victories for Erik Zabel and solo wins by such stellar sprinters as Mark Cavendish, Alessandro Petacchi, André Greipel and, final yr, Fabio Jakobsen. Typically they managed to win when there have been fewer summit finishes and comparatively extra mass-sprint phases. This yr, nevertheless, the foundations modified: 50 factors might be awarded to the winner of a flat stage, 30 factors for profitable a medium-mountain or hilly stage and 20 factors for many who end first in a mountain stage. So, we could also be in for a shock.

Are you as excited as we’re to see the riders battle for inexperienced this yr?