The leader of the young rider category in the Tour de France wears a white jersey.

The category began in 1975 and is awarded to the highest placed rider under the age of 25.

Basically it is a young person's version of the yellow jersey

The young Russian rider Denis Menchov finished 11th overall in the 2003 Tour and won the white jersey in Paris.

2003 young gun: Denis Menchov

Few riders win both the white and yellow jerseys in the same year although there are some exceptions.

Laurent Fignon of France was the first to do so when he scored his first Tour triumph in 1983 at the age of 23.

And Germany's Jan Ullrich repeated the feat in 1997, again as a 23-year-old.

In 1988 the race organisers dropped the white jersey but still gave a prize to the best young rider.

They recently changed their minds and the white jersey winner once again joins the other 'big three' jersey winners on the podium in Paris.

2004 white jersey winner: Vladimir Karpets.

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Introduction

Yellow jersey

Polka-dot jersey

Green jersey

White jersey

Did you know?

Jan Ullrich has won the white jersey for best young rider a record three times: in 1996, 1997 and 1998

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