In a move that will suit the pure sprinters like Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel, whilst potentially upsetting the dominance of Peter Sagan, ASO has overhauled the Tour de France’s green jersey points system.
From next year they will award more points for the winner of flat stages and reduce the amount awarded to the second and third placed riders.
Thierry Gouvenou, Tour de France course director, confirmed the changes at the presentation in Paris on October 22: “When we are almost certain that the stage will end in a sprint, we will add a little bonus to first place." There are nine flat stages in the 2015 race.
“Previously we’ve had 45, 35 and 30 points for the top three positions respectively. Now we will award 50, 30 and 20 points. The person who wins the stage will have a bigger advantage over the others, and it’s something which brings the pure sprinters back into the frame for the green jersey.”
This is good news for the big name sprinters, in particular Cavendish, who won six stages of the 2009 Tour only to see Thor Hushovd wrap up the green jersey by taking the intermediate sprint on a long lone breakaway on a hilly stage.
Marcel Kittel meanwhile has dominated the sprints for the last two years but has not been able to challenge Peter Sagan for the green jersey.
Sagan has been a clear winner of the green jersey for the last three editions of the race. His turn of speed sees him regularly finish in the top three on the flat stages while his ability to get over the hills means he scores points on the stages that see his faster rivals dropped before the finish.
The change also raises the chances of the jersey being decided on the final day with the traditional sprint on the Champs-Élysées, making for an even more dramatic ending to the 102nd Grande Boucle.
More Tour de France news
Tour de France 2015 route
Take a look at every stage of the route of the 2015 Tour de France
Chris Froome says he might not ride Tour de France 2015
Team Sky rider suggests he may prioritise the Giro and Vuelta in 2015
Riders react to 2015 Tour de France route presentation
What the best cyclists in the world have to say about the route of the 2015 Tour de France
-
Mark Cavendish: ‘The Tour de France is not a bike race, it’s a world sporting event’The British sprinter shares his thoughts on the pressure of the Tour
-
Mark Cavendish joint favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year
The British sprinter made a historic comeback at the 2021 Tour de France
-
Mark Cavendish beats Tim Merlier to sprint victory in post-Tour de France crit
The British sprinter was on the podium again in the lucrative exhibition race in Flanders
-
Peter Sagan explains the injury that saw him abandon the Tour de France 2021
The seven-time points jersey winner crashed on stage three and never fully recovered
-
Relaxed and appreciative Mark Cavendish looks to finish 'hardest Tour de France I've done' by 'leaving a good mark'
The British sprinter will have two more opportunities in the final week
-
'He was just some chav from the Isle of Man when I first met him': Geraint Thomas reflects on Mark Cavendish's history-making Tour de France return
The 2018 Tour de France winner says it's like turning back time seeing the Manxman winning at the Tour de France again
-
‘You can clearly say Mark is the best sprinter there ever was,’ says Michael Mørkøv as Cavendish equals Tour de France record
Mørkøv guided his team-leader to his 34th Tour de France victory, as Cavendish matches Eddy Merckx’s records
-
Five talking points from stage 13 of the Tour de France 2021
Cavendish makes history as he moves closer to winning green again
