The points classification in the Vuelta a España is a secondary classification in the

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

, in which the cyclists are ranked in a

points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points c ...

, based on the finish of each rider every stage.

History

For the first time, a points classification was calculated in 1945, sponsored by Pirelli. It was calculated as follows: *The winner of a stage received 100 points, the second 99, and so on. If cyclists arrived in a group that was given the same time, they all received the same number of points. *The first five cyclists in a stage received 12 points for every minute that they arrived ahead of the number six of the stage. *For every point scored for the

mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used. While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...

, two points were given for this points classification. *On intermediate sprints, points could be won: 8 for the winner, 6 for the second, 4 and 2 for the next. Although the sponsor said that the classification was a great success, it did not return the next edition. The next time that a points classification was calculated, was in 1955. Then it used the method of adding the stage ranks, in the same way as the

points classification in the Tour de France The points classification () is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, which started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is co ...

did then; just like in the Tour de France, the leader of the points classification (with the fewest points) wore a green jersey. In 1963, the points system changed such that from now on points were given to the first cyclists to reach the finish, and the cyclist with the most points was the leader. Seán Kelly,

Laurent Jalabert Laurent Jalabert (born 30 November 1968) is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as ''"Jaja"'' (slang for a glass of wine; when he continued drinking wine as a professional, the nickname stuck ...

and

Alejandro Valverde Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (born 25 April 1980) is a Spanish cyclist, who competed as a professional in road bicycle racing from 2002 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2022, and now competes in gravel cycling for the Movistar Team Gravel Squad. During ...

, with 4 titles each, share the record of victories.

System in use up to 2020

The Vuelta used to award an equal number of points on all stages for stage finishes. Except for time trials, stages also had one or more intermediate sprints offering points. This system paired with the high number of summit finishes at the Vuelta means there is a correlation between the overall classification and the points jersey. A good example from 2012, when sprinter

John Degenkolb John Degenkolb (born 7 January 1989) is a German professional road bicycle racer, who rides for UCI WorldTeam . His biggest wins to date are the 2015 Milan–San Remo and the 2015 Paris–Roubaix, two of cycling's five Cycling monument, monuments ...

won five stages but only finished fourth in the points competition with

well ahead.

Current system

In 2021, the Vuelta switched to a system that awarded more points for finishes of flat stages. This is more in keeping with how the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

and

Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...

point classifications work. All stages, other than time trial stages, have just one intermediate sprint. Rules

Winners of the points classification by year

Multiple winners

Days in leader's jersey

''after the end of

2024 Vuelta a España The 2024 Vuelta a España was a three-week cycling race that took place in Portugal and Spain between 17 August and 8 September. It was the 79th edition of the Vuelta a España and the third and final grand tour of the 2024 men's road cycling se ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vuelta a Espana Points classification

Points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points c ...

Cycling jerseys Spanish sports trophies and awards