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
SportRoad bicycle racing
CompetitionTour de France
Given forBest team
Local nameClassement d'équipes  (French)
History
First award1930
Editions84 (as of 2020)
First winnerFrance
Most recentMovistar Team

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;[1] 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 19301961 and 19671968. 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.[2] In 1930, the classification was calculated by adding the times of the three best cyclists in the general classification.[3]

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.[4]

Between 1952 and 1990, the team classification leaders could be recognized by yellow caps, until helmets became mandatory.[5][6] Since 2006 the best team has worn black on yellow back numbers.[3][6] Beginning in 2012 the best team was awarded the right, but not the obligation, to wear yellow helmets.[7][8]

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.[3]

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.[3]

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.[3]

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[9][10]
Year Team
1930 France
1931 Belgium
1932 Italy
1933 France
1934 France
1935 Belgium
1936 Belgium
1937 France
1938 Belgium
1939 Belgium B[lower-alpha 1]
1947 Italy
1948 Belgium A[lower-alpha 1]
1949 Italy A[lower-alpha 1]
1950 Belgium A[lower-alpha 1]
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–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

Team points classification

Between 1973 and 1989, there was an additional team points classification.[4]

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

Notes

  1. In some years, countries entered multiple teams. In 1939, Belgium entered two teams and won the team competition with team B. In 1948 and 1950, Belgium won with team A. In 1949, Italy entered two teams and won the team competition with team A.

References

  1. "Tour Xtra: General Team Classification".
  2. Official Tour de France history 1930 Archived 2010-07-16 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  3. "Five good reasons to follow the team classification". Letour.fr. Amaury Sport Organisation. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  4. "Tour Xtra: Other Classifications".
  5. van den Akker 2018, p. 148.
  6. Nauright & Parrish 2012, p. 455.
  7. "Team Standings: Sky's Yellow Helmet - News stage 1". Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  8. Decaluwé, Brecht (1 July 2012). "RadioShack-Nissan aims to defend yellow with stage win". cyclingnews.com.
  9. "Past winners". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  10. "Tour de France winners, podium, times". BikeRaceInfo. McGann Publishing. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.

Bibliography

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