But do you get the white jersey guaranteeing a successful career? Here are some of the most emblematic names that won the Tour young people’s ranking.
The first white jersey was awarded 50 years ago in 1975, and was won by Francesco Moser. The Italian led the competition during all the stages (except two) and finished seventh in the general classification. If he only participated in one Tour de France, he was a huge success on his great national round (the Giro d’Italia) where he won the general classification once (1984), the Points Four times (1976, 1977, 1978 and 1982), and 23 stages in 13 participations. Moser also wore the rainbow jersey of world champion in 1977, beating legends like Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx.
While Moser continued a brilliant career in the big round, the 1982 winner, Phil Anderson, failed to convert this success into victories on the biggest stages races. The Australian took the lead in the general classification during the 2nd stage of the 1982 edition, becoming the first non-European to wear the yellow jersey, and finished fifth in the final classification. He ultimately won only one other stage of the Tour in 1991. Anderson retired in 1994 and now had a farm in Australia.
Lemond is one of the most titled runners in the history of the Tour with three yellow jerseys (1986, 1989 and 1990) and two world champion titles (1983 and 1989). While wearing the rainbow jersey, the American also added the white jersey to his collection in 1984, when he supported the winner Laurent Fignon (himself winner of the white jersey in 1983) and finished third in the general classification. Even more impressive, he overcome a terrible ordeal in the middle of his career after being seriously injured by shot in a hunting accident in 1987.
First double winner of the white jersey, “Le Pirate” was the best young in the Tour in 1994 and 1995, finishing 3rd and 13th of the general respectively. This announced the upcoming exploits of the Italian climber, which made in 1998 the double Giro d’Italia – Tour de France, a feat that only eight runners accomplished. He won 16 stages over the big towers, but his career was tragically shortened after a fatal overdose in 2004.
The Slovenian phenomenon holds the record for the number of white jerseys with four consecutive victories between 2020 and 2023. His first victory coincided with his explosion on the world scene, when he exceeded his compatriot Primož Roglič during the penultimate stage to win his first yellow jersey. Since then, the 26 -year -old runner has rewritten the cycling codes, adding two other Tours de France (2021 and 2024), a Giro from Italia (2024) and a world title (2024). He became the seventh runner in history to succeed in winning the triple cycling crown the same year (Tour, Giro, Worlds). Currently at the top of the 2025 edition, few people would bet against a fourth yellow jersey, and its future lets consider direct rivalry with Eddy Merckx for the title of biggest runner of all time.
The Belgian is one of the few runners to have asserted himself before he even won the white jersey. Evenepoel had already won the Vuelta (2022) and a world title (2022) before participating in its first Tour de France in 2024. He dominated the youth category there finishing third of the general. It was only the beginning of a splendid summer in France for Evenepoel, which also won gold on the race and the time trial of the Paris Olympic Games. At 25, he still led the ranking of young people in the 2025 Tour after his victory during the individual time trial of the 5th stage, but had to abandon on the 14th, sick stage, giving way to Lipowitz.