In Tour de France road cycling competition, the yellow jersey is given to the rider who leads the General Classification (GC) with the lowest cumulative time across all stages of the race.
Unlike a stage win, which reflects a single day’s performance, the yellow jersey in Tour de France symbolises consistency, endurance, and tactical acumen over the three-week event. The wearer may not win every day, but is the most efficient and resilient rider overall. At the end of each stage, officials tally each rider’s total time, and the one with the lowest combined time wears the yellow jersey for the next chapter.
Also Read: UCI World Tour: Complete 2025 Road Cycling Calendar
Here are the list of players who won the yellow jersey the Tour de France came into being in 1903.
Tour de France Yellow Jersey Winners
| Year | Tour # | Winner | Country | Team |
| 2025 | 112 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2024 | 111 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
| 2023 | 110 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo–Visma |
| 2022 | 109 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo–Visma |
| 2021 | 108 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
| 2020 | 107 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
| 2019 | 106 | Egan Bernal | Colombia | Team Ineos (previously known as Sky) |
| 2018 | 105 | Geraint Thomas | United Kingdom (Wales) | Team Sky |
| 2017 | 104 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
| 2016 | 103 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
| 2015 | 102 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
| 2014 | 101 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | Astana Pro Team |
| 2013 | 100 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
| 2012 | 99 | Bradley Wiggins | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
| 2011 | 98 | Cadel Evans | Australia | BMC Racing Team |
| 2010 | 97 | Andy Schleck * | Luxembourg | Team Saxo Bank |
| 2009 | 96 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Astana |
| 2008 | 95 | Carlos Sastre | Spain | Team CSC Saxo Bank |
| 2007 | 94 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Discovery Channel |
| 2006 | 93 | Óscar Pereiro * | Spain | Caisse d’Epargne |
| 2005 | 92 | * | ||
| 2004 | 91 | * | ||
| 2003 | 90 | * | ||
| 2002 | 89 | * | ||
| 2001 | 88 | * | ||
| 2000 | 87 | * | ||
| 1999 | 86 | * | ||
| 1998 | 85 | Marco Pantani | Italy | Mercatone Uno |
| 1997 | 84 | Jan Ullrich | Germany | Telekom |
| 1996 | 83 | Bjarne Riis * | Dnmark | Telekom |
| 1995 | 82 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
| 1994 | 81 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
| 1993 | 80 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
| 1992 | 79 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
| 1991 | 78 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
| 1990 | 77 | Greg LeMond | USA | Z |
| 1989 | 76 | Greg LeMond | USA | ADR |
| 1988 | 75 | Pedro Delgado | Spain | Reynolds |
| 1987 | 74 | Stephen Roche | Ireland | Carrera |
| 1986 | 73 | Greg LeMond | USA | La Vie Claire |
| 1985 | 72 | Bernard Hinault | France | La Vie Claire |
| 1984 | 71 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault |
| 1983 | 70 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault |
| 1982 | 69 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
| 1981 | 68 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
| 1980 | 67 | Joop Zoetemelk | Netherlands | TI Raleigh |
| 1979 | 66 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
| 1978 | 65 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
| 1977 | 64 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot |
| 1976 | 63 | Lucien Van Impe | Belgium | Gitane |
| 1975 | 62 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot |
| 1974 | 61 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
| 1973 | 60 | Luis Ocaña | Spain | Bic |
| 1972 | 59 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
| 1971 | 58 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
| 1970 | 57 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faemino |
| 1969 | 56 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faema |
| 1968 | 55 | Jan Janssen | Netherlands | Holland |
| 1967 | 54 | Roger Pingeon | France | France |
| 1966 | 53 | Lucien Aimar | France | Ford |
| 1965 | 52 | Felice Gimondi | Italy | Salvarini |
| 1964 | 51 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
| 1963 | 50 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
| 1962 | 49 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
| 1961 | 48 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France |
| 1960 | 47 | Gastone Nencini | Italy | Italy |
| 1959 | 46 | Federico Bahamontes | Spain | Spain |
| 1958 | 45 | Charly Gaul | Luxembourg | Holland-Luxembourg |
| 1957 | 44 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France |
| 1956 | 43 | Roger Walkowiak | France | Nord-Est-Centre |
| 1955 | 42 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
| 1954 | 41 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
| 1953 | 40 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
| 1952 | 39 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy |
| 1951 | 38 | Hugo Koblet | Switzerland | Switzerland |
| 1950 | 37 | Ferdinand Kubler | Switzerland | Switzerland |
| 1949 | 36 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy |
| 1948 | 35 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy |
| 1947 | 34 | Jean Robic | France | Ouest |
| 1940-46 | not held | |||
| 1939 | 33 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
| 1938 | 32 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy |
| 1937 | 31 | Roger Lapébie | France | France |
| 1936 | 30 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
| 1935 | 29 | Romain Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
| 1934 | 28 | Antonin Magne | France | France |
| 1933 | 27 | Georges Speicher | France | France |
| 1932 | 26 | André Leducq | France | France |
| 1931 | 25 | Antonin Magne | France | France |
| 1930 | 24 | André Leducq | France | France |
| 1929 | 23 | Maurice De Waele | Belgium | Alcyon |
| 1928 | 22 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon |
| 1927 | 21 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon |
| 1926 | 20 | Lucien Buysse | Belgium | Automoto |
| 1925 | 19 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto |
| 1924 | 18 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto |
| 1923 | 17 | Henri Pélissier | France | Automoto |
| 1922 | 16 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1921 | 15 | Léon Scieur | Belgium | La Sportive |
| 1920 | 14 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | La Sportive |
| 1919 | 13 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | La Sportive |
| 1915-18 | not held | |||
| 1914 | 12 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1913 | 11 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1912 | 10 | Odile Defraye | Belgium | Alycon |
| 1911 | 9 | Gustave Garrigou | France | Alycon |
| 1910 | 8 | Octave Lapize | France | Alycon |
| 1909 | 7 | François Faber | Luxembourg | Alycon |
| 1908 | 6 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1907 | 5 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1906 | 4 | René Pottier | France | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1905 | 3 | Louis Trousselier | France | Cycles Peugeot |
| 1904 | 2 | Henri Cornet | France | Cycles JC |
| 1903 | 1 | Maurice Garin | France | La Française |
*Lance Armstrong was declared winner of seven consecutive Tours from 1999 to 2005. However, in October 2012, he was stripped of all titles by the UCI owing to his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
