Team classification in the Tour de France

Team classification

Award details
Sport	Road Cycling
Competition	Tour de France
Given for	Best team
Local name	Classement d'équipes (French)
History
First award	1930
Editions	77
First winner	France
Most recent	Saxo-Tinkoff

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 general classification at the end of the previous stage are against a yellow background instead of white.

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 5 left for the team. If a team has fewer than three cyclists remaining, it is removed from this classification.

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.^[1]

When Lance Armstrong lost hopes of winning the 2010 Tour de France, he instructed his team mates to keep an eye on their main rivals for the team classification, and his Team RadioShack won the team classification.^[1]

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.^[1]

History

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:^[2]

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.^[3] In 1930, the classification was calculated by adding the times of the ^[1] 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.^[4]

Until 1990, the team classification leaders could be recognized by yellow caps. Since 2006 the best team has worn black on yellow back numbers.^[1] Beginning in 2012 the best team was awarded the right, but not the obligation, to wear yellow helmets.^[5][6]

Team classification winners in the Tour de France

The cup in 1956, won by the Belgian national team

Team classification winners[7] Year Team 1930  France 1931  Belgium 1932  Italy 1933  France 1934  France 1935  Belgium 1936  Belgium 1937  France 1938  Belgium 1939  Belgium B[8] 1947  Italy 1948  Belgium A[8] 1949  Italy A[8] 1950  Belgium A[8] 1951  France 1952  Italy 1953  Netherlands 1954   Switzerland 1955  France 1956  Belgium 1957  France 1958  Belgium 1959  Belgium 1960  France 1961  France 1962 St. Raphaël 1963 St. Raphaël 1964 Pelforth 1965 Kas 1966 Kas 1967  France 1968  Spain 1969 Faema 1970 Salvarani 1971 Bic 1972 Gan – Mercier 1973 Bic 1974 Kas

Year Team 1975 Gan – Mercier 1976 Kas 1977 TI-Raleigh 1978 Miko – Mercier 1979 Renault 1980 Miko – Mercier 1981 Peugeot 1982 Coöp – Mercier 1983 TI-Raleigh 1984 Renault 1985 La Vie Claire 1986 La Vie Claire 1987 Système ‘U’ 1988 PDM 1989 PDM 1990 Z-Peugeot 1991 Banesto 1992 Carrera Jeans-Vagabond 1993 Carrera Jeans-Tassoni 1994 Festina 1995 ONCE 1996 Festina 1997 Team Telekom 1998 Cofidis 1999 Banesto 2000 Kelme 2001 Kelme 2002 ONCE 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

Team points classification winners in the Tour de France

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

Notes and references