Vuelta a España jerseys explained

Where there’s a race, there’s a winner. The overall winner, known as the leader of the general classification, is the rider who completes the race fastest. However, there are also points, mountains, and young rider competitions to be won. Each of these classifications has a jersey.  

The jerseys of the Vuelta a España are very similar to those in the other two Grand Tours – the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France but there are some notable differences when it comes to some of the colours.  

This year’s Vuelta a España starts in Torino on August 23, Italy and returns to Spain after three days of racing on Italian shores. The race concludes in Madrid on September 14 and once more combines a high number of tough uphill or mountain finishes, with some of the the most stunning landscapes in Spain. Our extensive race preview and guide to the 2025 Vuelta a España has you covered on the route, race headliners and all your favourite Canyon riders but here’s a jersey explainer ahead of the final Grand Tour of the season. 

Read more about La Vuelta a España: Route, Stages and TV.

Just like the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a España awards distinctive jerseys to the leaders of key classifications. Each colour represents a different competition within the race – from overall leader to best climber. Here’s what each jersey means:  

• Red jersey  
• Green jersey  
• Blue jersey  
• White jersey 

At the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes the race leader wears the yellow jersey and at the respective editions of the Giro d’Italia, it’s the fabled maglia rosa, or pink jersey. At the Vuelta a España the race leader wears the iconic red jersey. This jersey is worn by the rider who has completed all stages the fastest. They are also known as leader of the overall (general) classification, or the GC. The leading rider wears the jersey throughout the race, but the greatest prestige comes from still having it at the end of the race. A previous winner of the red jersey for Canyon is Nairo Quintana in 2016 for Movistar Team.  

The green jersey is the points jersey. Typically won by sprinters, this jersey is awarded to the rider who has the most sprinting points at the end of the race. For Canyon, Alejandro Valverde won the green jersey in 2018, while Kaden Groves piloted his road bike to two straight green jersey titles in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The seven-time Vuelta a España stage winner is unlikely to be on the startline of the race this time around, but his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates could feature in several of the sprint finishes.  

The polka dot jersey is the mountains jersey. The first rider to cross designated mountains is awarded the most points. Over the course of the race, the winner of the mountains classification is the rider with the most mountain points. The jersey is white with blue dots. No Canyon riders have previously won the polka dot jersey, but with strong climbers, particuarly at Movistar Team, this could be the year that changes. 

The white jersey was formerly worn by the rider leading the combination classification (best all-rounder). This jersey is now worn by the best young rider. Since 2019, the winner of the white jersey is the highest placed rider in the general classification who is under the age of 26 or in this year’s case born after the 1st January 1999. When the white jersey was the combination classification, Joaquim Rodriguez and Nairo Quintana both won it on Canyon bikes in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Enric Mas won the young rider classification in 2020 with Movistar Team.   

With two Canyon teams lining up in Italy for the start of the Vuelta a Espana, it's time to cheer from the sidelines. Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar Team will no doubt both be sending stacked rosters to the final Grand Tour of the men’s road season.