Things to Look for: Yellow Numbers and Red Number

By Jessica | Permalink | No Comments | July 19th, 2007 | Trackback

You’ve noticed the different colored jerseys that various riders wear each day in the Tour de France, but have you noticed the different colored number panels on some riders’ backs? There are two different colors, and they mean two different things.

Yellow Numbers
Yellow panels with black numbers are worn by the team which is best placed overall. It’s a great honor, and unlike any other visible honor it’s worn by an entire team and not just one rider. Cycling might look like an individual sport, but it’s not - and the team award is proof of that. Since 2006, when the award has been coupled with yellow numbers so everyone can see which team is in the lead, it’s been much easier to see visible evidence of the team aspect of the sport.

Red Number
There is one rider who wears a red panel with white numbering each day, and it’s likely a different rider each day. The red number is given to the most aggressive rider on the previous stage and it’s called the “prix de combativité” in French. The most aggressive rider is usually the one who’s been most active in breakaway attempts on a given day. The points for this award are added up so that by the end of the Tour there will be someone who receives the final honor on the podium in Paris, too.

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