The Four Colored Jerseys of the Tour of Taiwan: Yellow, Green, Polka Dot, and Blue Explained

What You Wear Decides What Kind of Hero You Are

If you watch a Tour of Taiwan broadcast and notice a few riders in the peloton wearing jerseys in different colors from their teammates, don’t worry — they haven’t put on the wrong kit. They’re heroes.

The Four Leader Jerseys at a Glance

Yellow Jersey (Maillot Jaune) — The King’s Jersey

How to earn it: The rider with the lowest cumulative finishing time

The Yellow Jersey is the most weighty of all the leader jerseys. It doesn’t represent a single day’s performance, but overall strength across the entire race.

How the Yellow Jersey changed hands in 2026:

Four different riders wore it within five days — this jersey may have had a more exhausting week than any of the riders themselves.

Green Jersey (Sprint Jersey) — King of Speed

How to earn it: The rider with the most cumulative sprint points

Sprint points come from two sources:

• Intermediate sprints: The top finishers each earn between 4 and 1 points
• Stage finish sprints: The top finishers each earn between 16 and 1 points

Competition for the Green Jersey was unusually fierce in 2026. After Stage 4, the gap between the top three was just 2 points:

In the end, Hennequin overturned the standings with a stage win bonus on Stage 5 to claim the Green Jersey.

Polka Dot Jersey (KOM Jersey) — Conqueror of the Mountains

How to earn it: The rider with the most cumulative climbing points

Each climbing segment is graded by difficulty (Category 1 being the hardest, Category 4 the easiest), and the first rider to crest the summit earns the corresponding points.

The 2026 battle for climbing points:

• The Taoyuan stage offered the most climbing points (three Category 2 climbs)
• Aisan Racing’s Yuhi Todome briefly led by 21 points
• In the end, Lander Loockx of Unibet Tietema Rockets claimed the Polka Dot Jersey

Blue Jersey (Best Asian Jersey) — Asia’s Shining Star

How to earn it: The lowest cumulative time among Asian riders

The Blue Jersey is a classification unique to the Tour of Taiwan, reflecting the regional character of this Asian race.

The 2026 battle for the Blue Jersey was equally thrilling:

Only 2 seconds separated all three riders! Koishi wore the Blue Jersey from Stage 1 onward and defended it all the way to the finish.

The “Sweet Burden” of Wearing a Leader Jersey

Wearing a leader jersey looks glamorous, but it comes at a cost:

1. You become the target: Every rival is watching you
2. Your team has to work for you: Teammates must take turns riding on the front to shield you from the wind
3. Psychological pressure: You go from being the “challenger” to being “the one being challenged”
4. Physical toll: Your team burns extra energy protecting you, and if your teammates run out of gas in later stages, you’re in danger

Fun Facts About Leader Jerseys

• The tradition of the Yellow Jersey originated from the Tour de France, because the race’s sponsor at the time was a newspaper printed on yellow paper
• After putting on a leader jersey, a rider’s original team kit is temporarily replaced, but their helmet and bike still keep the team’s livery
• If the same rider leads two classifications at once (for example, Grisel held both the Yellow and Green Jerseys after Stage 3), he wears the higher-ranking jersey, and the second jersey is worn by the rider who ranks second in that classification

Next time you watch a Tour of Taiwan broadcast, keep an eye out for these colorful figures — they’re not just clothing, they’re symbols of glory.

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