The Vuelta a España is an important cycling race (one of the Grand Tours). The first Vuelta a España was in 1935. As the Vuelta a España is a stage race, a classification based on times is calculated after every stage. The cyclist with the lowest time after a stage is the leader of the general classification after that stage. A jersey is given to that cyclist, which the cyclist wears during the next stage. From 1999 to 2009, this jersey had a golden color and was named the golden jersey. From 2010 onwards, the leader's jersey was red. It has also been black and white at different points in the Vuelta's history.
Although the leader of the classification after a stage gets the leader's jersey, he is not considered the winner of that jersey, only the wearer. Only after the final stage, the wearer of the leader's jersey is considered the winner, and therefore the winner of the Vuelta a España.
Since the first Vuelta a España in 1935, there have been 1,491 stages, up to and including the Stage 12 of the 2021 Vuelta a España The race leader following each stage has been awarded a leader's jersey.
Although the number of stages is 1,491, there have been 1,492 leader's jerseys awarded, because after the first stage of the 1948 Vuelta a España, Bernardo Ruiz and Julián Berrendero shared the lead and both received the leader's jersey. As of 2021, 1,492 leader's jerseys have been awarded in the Vuelta a España to 226 different riders.
Jerseys per rider Key: Cyclists who are still active In previous Vueltas a España, sometimes a stage was split in two. On such occasions, only the cyclist leading at the end of the day is counted. The "Leader's jerseys" column gives the number of days that the cyclist wore the leader's jersey, the "Vuelta wins" column gives the number of times that the cyclist won the Vuelta. The next three columns indicate the number of times the rider won the points classification, the mountains classification, and the years in which the rider lead the general classification, with bold years indicating an overall Vuelta win.
For example: Alex Zülle has spent 48 days in the leader's jersey, and won the overall classification two times. He wore the leader's jersey in the Vueltas of 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000, of which he won the 1996 and 1997 Vueltas. RankNameCountryLeader'sjerseysGeneralPointsKoMYears1 Alex Zülle 482001993, 1996, 1997, 20002 Primož Roglič 424202019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 20243 Roberto Heras 364102000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 20054= Gustaaf Deloor 322001935, 19364= Tony Rominger 323121992, 1993, 19946 Delio Rodríguez 311101941, 1945, 1946, 19477= Julián Berrendero 272031941, 1942, 1945, 19487= Chris Froome 272102011, 20177= Alejandro Valverde 271402006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 201410 Alberto Contador 263002008, 2012, 201411= Laurent Jalabert 241411995, 1996, 1997, 199811= Domingo Perurena 240201967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 197513 Abraham Olano 231001995, 1998, 1999, 200014 Óscar Sevilla 210002001, 200215= Manuel Costa 200001946, 194715= Freddy Maertens 20110197715= Denis Menchov 202012005, 200715= Vincenzo Nibali 201002010, 201319= Remco Evenepoel 19 1 0 0 2022, 202319= Emilio Rodríguez 19102195019= Joaquim Rodríguez 190002003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 201522 Melcior Mauri 18100199123 René Pijnen 170001970, 1971, 197224= Angelo Conterno 16100195624= José Manuel Fuente 162011972, 197424= Isidro Nozal 16000200327= Jacques Anquetil 15100196327= Pedro Delgado 152001984, 1985, 198927= Bernard Hinault 152001978, 198327= Nairo Quintana 151002014, 2016, 201927= Faustino Rupérez 15100198027= Jonas Vingegaard 15100202533= Rudi Altig 141101962, 196833= Laudelino Cubino 14000198833= Sepp Kuss14000202333= Dalmacio Langarica 141001946, 194833= Miguel María Lasa 140101971, 1972, 197538= Robert Millar 130001985, 198638= Ben O'Connor 13000202438= Joop Zoetemelk 13101197941= Giovanni Battaglin 12100198141= Marco Giovannetti 12100199041= Enric Mas 12000202641= Jesús Montoya 12000199241= Álvaro Pino 121011983, 198641= Fermín Trueba 12000194147= Luis Herrera 11102198747= Jean-Pierre Ducasse 11000196747= Bernardo Ruiz 11101194847= Rik Van Looy 110101958, 1959, 1964, 196547= Rolf Wolfshohl 11100196547= Simon Yates 11100201853 Jan Ullrich 10100199954= Seamus Elliott 9000196254= Omar Hernández 9000198954= Jesús Loroño 91001955, 195754= Eddy Merckx 9110197354= Pello Ruiz Cabestany 90001985, 1990, 199254= Agustín Tamames 91011970, 1971, 197554= Valentín Uriona 9000196654= Ferdi Van Den Haute 9010197862= Éric Caritoux 8100198462= Régis Clère 8000198162= Marc Gomez 80001982, 198662= Julián Gorospe 80001983, 199062= José Pesarrodona 81001973, 197662= Ángel Arroyo 7000198262= Fabio Aru 7100201567= Joseba Beloki 70002001, 200267= Odd Christian Eiking 7000202167= Sean Kelly 71401987, 198867= Marino Lejarreta 71101982, 198367= Christian Levavasseur 7000197967= Francesco Moser 7000198467= Luis Ocaña 71011969, 197067= Roger Pingeon 7100196967= Tadej Pogačar 7000202667= Raymond Poulidor 71001964, 196567= Jean Stablinski 7100195867= Dietrich Thurau 7010197681= Ferdinand Bracke 6100197181= Esteban Chaves6000201581= Claude Criquielion 6000198281= Armand Desmet 6000196081= Jean Dotto 6100195581= Tom Dumoulin 6000201587= Igor Antón 5000201087= Fabian Cancellara 5000200987= Richard Carapaz 5000202087= Sylvain Chavanel 50002008, 201187= Anselmo Fuerte 50001988, 199187= Dominique Gaigne 5000198387= Philippe Gilbert 5000201087= Chris Horner 5100201387= Jan Janssen 51201967, 196887= Antonio Karmany 5003195987= Floyd Landis 5000200487= Rudy Molard 5 0 0 0 2018, 202287= Luis Otaño 5000196487= José Pérez Francés 50101964, 196887= Marcel Seynaeve 5000196187= Roberto Visentini 5000198087= Alexander Vinokourov 51002006104= Joaquim Agostinho 40001976104= Darwin Atapuma40002016104= Federico Bahamontes 40021957104= Fabio Baldato 40001996104= Daniele Bennati 40102007, 2008, 2011104= Ángel Casero 41002000, 2001104= Reimund Dietzen 40001987104= Vladimir Efimkin 40002007104= Francisco Gabica 41011966104= Felice Gimondi 41001968104= Miguel Induráin 40001985104= José María Jiménez 40141998104= Viktor Klimov 40001990104= Michał Kwiatkowski40002016, 2018104= Egoi Martínez 40012008104= Bradley McGee 40002005104= André Messelis 40001961104= Lars Michaelsen 40001997104= Nicolas Roche 40002013, 2019104= Raymond Steegmans 40101969104= Antonio Suárez 41111959104= Roger Swerts 40001974, 1975104=Torstein Træen 40002025104= Bradley Wiggins 40002011128= Antonio Barrutia 30001960, 1962128= Manuel Beltrán 30002004128= Omer Braeckeveldt 30001950128= Janez Brajkovič 30002006, 2013128= Jonathan Castroviejo 30002012, 2014128= José De Cauwer 30001976128= Daan de Groot 30001958128= Frans De Mulder 31001960128= Pierre Everaert 30001959128= Alberto Fernández 30001983128= Raphaël Géminiani 30001955128= Fabrizio Guidi 30101997, 1998128= Thor Hushovd 30102006128= Hennie Kuiper 30001976128= Roland Le Clerc 30001989128= Miguel Ángel López 30002019128= Fernando Manzaneque 30001960128= Michael Matthews 30002014128= David Millar 30002001128= Ramón Sáez 30001969128= José Segú 30001959128= Eusebio Vélez 30001961, 1964128= Michael Wright 30001968, 1969151= Gilbert Bauvin 20001955151= Santiago Botero 20002001151= Mark Cavendish 20102010151= Biagio Conte 20001996151= Rohan Dennis 20002017, 2018151= Danilo Di Luca 20002006151= Laurent Dufaux 20001997151= Jacky Durand 20001999151= Javier Elorriaga 20001976151= José María Errandonea 20001966151= Óscar Freire 20002007151= Igor González de Galdeano 20001999, 2003151= André Greipel 20102009151= Cees Haast 20001966151= Jesús Herrada 20002018151= Benoît Joachim 20002004151= Gerben Karstens 20001973151= Levi Leipheimer 20002008151= René Marigil 20001955151= Lenny Martinez 20002023151= Bert Oosterbosch 20001985151= Miguel Pacheco 20001958151= Roberto Pagnin 20001987151= Luigi Sgarbozza 20001969151= Angelino Soler 21001961151= Rein Taaramäe 20002021151= José Luis Talamillo 20001961151= Bernard Thévenet 20001974151=Wout van Aert20002024151= Edward Van Dijck 21011947151= Marcel Wüst 20001999151= Markus Zberg 20001998183= Edoardo Affini 1 0 0 0 2022183= Felipe Alberdi 10001960183= Alessandro Ballan 10002008183= Jesús Blanco Villar 10001986183= Salvador Botella 10101957183= Miguel Chacón 10001957183= Hilaire Couvreur 10001958183= David de la Cruz10002016183= Michele Dancelli 10001967183= Stijn Devolder 10002007183= Herminio Díaz Zabala 10001991183= Antoine Dignef 10001935183= Kenny Elissonde 10002021183= Antonio Escuriet 10001935183= Nicolas Edet 10002019183= Cadel Evans 10002009183= José Martín Farfán 10011989183= Rubén Fernández10002016183= Jakob Fuglsang 10002011183= Jesús Galdeano 10001960183=David Gaudu 10002025183= Robert Gesink 1 0 0 0 2022183= 10001948183= Aitor González 11002002183= Santos González 10002000183= Max van Heeswijk 10002004183= 10001936183= Julio Jiménez 10031964183= Peter Kennaugh 10002016183= Marnix Lameire 10001989183=Yves Lampaert10002017183= Pablo Lastras 10002011183= José Manuel López Rodríguez 10001967183= François Mahé 10001961183= Thierry Marie 10001986183= Manuel Martín Piñera 10001968183= Gabriel Mas 10001960183=Brandon McNulty 10102024183= Lorenzo Milesi 10002023183= Bauke Mollema 10102011183=José Antonio Momeñe10001966183= Carmelo Morales 10001957183= Daniel Moreno 10002013183= Francisco Moreno 10001957183= Jelle Nijdam 10001992183= Joaquín Olmos 10001946183=Ettore Pastorelli10001988183=Jasper Philipsen 10002025183= Gianluca Pianegonda 10001995183= Andrea Piccolo 10002023183= Filippo Pozzato 10002008183= Carlos Sastre 10012006183= Mike Teunissen 1 0 0 0 2022183= Dylan Teuns 10002019183= Benny Van Brabant 10001989183= Rik Van Steenbergen 10101956183= Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke 10001987183= Peter Velits 10002015183= Joseph Vloeberghs 10001959183= Mikel Zarrabeitia 10002002
Jerseys per country The leader's jersey has been awarded to 24 different countries since 1935. In the table below, "Jerseys" indicates the number of leader's jerseys that were given to cyclists of each country. "Vuelta wins" stands for the number of Vuelta wins by cyclists of that country, "Points" for the number of times the points classification was won by a cyclist of that country and "KoM" for the number of times the mountains classification was won by a cyclist of that country. "Combo'" shows the winners of the combination classification, This classification is calculated by adding the numeral ranks of each cyclist in the general, points, and mountains classifications (a rider must have a score in all). The "Most recent" column shows the cyclist of the country that wore the leader's jersey most recently. The "Different holders" column gives the number of different cyclists of the country that wore the leader's jersey. #CountryVuelta WinsPointsKoMCombo'Most recent cyclistMost recent dateHolders165433175014 Enric Mas2026, stage 2186216681422Jasper Philipsen2025, stage 13231609592David Gaudu2025, stage 42741106541Andrea Piccolo2023, stage 1235895221Fabian Cancellara2009, stage 756643303Simon Yates2018, stage 2187582610Mike Teunissen2022, stage 2148524200Tadej Pogačar 2026, stage 739512072Nairo Quintana2019, stage 9810503800André Greipel2009, stage 6711272001Brandon McNulty2024, stage 1512242011Denis Menchov2007, stage 21213230240Ben O'Connor2024, stage 18514=201402Nicolas Roche2019, stage 4314=201200Jonas Vingegaard2025, stage 21316140100Torstein Træen2025, stage 9317=51001Alexander Vinokourov2006, stage 21117=50010Richard Carapaz2020, stage 12119=40000Joaquim Agostinho1976, stage 16119=40000Viktor Klimov1990, stage 5119=40000Michał Kwiatkowski2018, stage 4122=20000Benoît Joachim2004, stage 4122=20000Rein Taaramäe2021, stage 412410000Peter Velits 2015, Stage 1 1–00100--0–00100--0
Stage wins per rider The table below shows the 17 riders who have won more than 9 stages at the Vuelta. Riders who are still active are indicated in bold.