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The maillot vert (French for green jersey) is the jersey worn by the leader of the Tour de France's points classification. It was introduced for the 1953 Tour de France to complement the existing Maillot jaune (French for yellow jersey), which distinguished the overall leader. The maillot vert is also won by the points classification leader of other road cycling races in France and elsewhere.
In the first years, the cyclist only received penalty points for not finishing first, so the cyclist with the least points was || awarded the green jersey. From 1959 on, the system was changed so the cyclists were awarded points for finishing first, so the cyclist with the most points was awarded the green jersey.
Whereas the yellow jersey is awarded for the lowest cumulative time in the race, the green jersey reflects points gained for stage wins and intermediate "hot spots", especially during the flat stages of the Tour. It is widely thought of as the "sprinter's competition", since the riders generally remain together in one large peloton during such stages, leaving those with the fastest acceleration at the end to fight for the stage win. The intermediate sprints were formerly for an additional red jersey, with the points for the green a 'side-effect'; however, this was later scrapped, and they are now considered part of the green jersey competition.
Like all classification jerseys in the Tour, the maillot vert is made by American sportswear giant Nike. It has been sponsored by PMU since 1991.
[edit] Repeat winners of the maillot vert
| Rank |
Name |
Country |
Wins |
Years |
| 1 |
Erik Zabel |
 Germany |
6 |
1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001 |
| 2 |
Seán Kelly |
 Republic of Ireland |
4 |
1982,1983,1985,1989 |
| 3 |
Jan Janssen |
 Netherlands |
3 |
1964,1965,1967 |
| |
Eddy Merckx |
 Belgium |
3 |
1969,1971,1972 |
| |
Freddy Maertens |
Belgium |
3 |
1976,1978,1981 |
| |
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov |
 Uzbekistan |
3 |
1991,1993,1994 |
| |
Robbie McEwen |
 Australia |
3 |
2002,2004,2006 |
| 8 |
Stan Ockers |
Belgium |
2 |
1955,1956 |
| |
Jean Graczyk |
 France |
2 |
1958,1960 |
| |
André Darrigade |
France |
2 |
1959,1961 |
| |
Laurent Jalabert |
France |
2 |
1992,1995 |
[edit] Winners of the maillot vert by year
[edit] Winners by Nation
[edit] See also
Switzerland
East Germany
Italy
Norway
