Young rider classification (French: classement général des jeunes) is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for riders below the age of twenty-five years old (or twenty-three years old) depending on the race rules. Recipients are commonly known as the Best Young Rider.
In stage racing, the fastest overall time of all riders below the age limit is awarded the cycling jersey, often the jersey color is white, in the same fashion the fastest time of all riders (regardless of age) is awarded in the general classification.
If the best young rider is also the leader of the general classification, points classification or mountains classification, then the rider wears the most prestigious jersey and the next young rider in the classification not holding a more prestigious jersey will wear the young rider jersey.
Only two cyclists ever have won three white jerseys for the best young rider, - Jan Ullrich in years 1996-1998, and Andy Schleck in 2008-2010.
Famous quotes containing the words young and/or rider:
“A person unlearns arrogance when he knows he is always among worthy human beings; being alone fosters presumption. Young people are arrogant because they always associate with their own peers, those who are all really nothing but who would like to be very important.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The sun that leaps on petals through a nought,
The come a-cropper rider of the flower.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)