Who won a stage in the rainbow jersey?
The riders in the table below won a stage while they were reigning world champion (on the road or in the time trial), so they could be wearing the rainbow jersey.
Before the introduction of the time trial world championship, road world champions that won a time trial are included in this list. After the introduction of the time trial world championship, a rider that won a time trial is only included in the list below if he is reigning time trial world champion.
This does not automatically mean that they were also wearing the rainbow jersey.
- In the first stage of 1934, Speicher was the winner of the most recent Tour, so he had the right to wear the yellow jersey. I belief that this tradition back then, so I assume that he was wearing the yellow jersey.
- Ockers wore the green jersey in the nineteenth stage of 1956, because he was leading the points classification.
- In the prologue of 1972, Merckx had the right to wear the yellow jersey as winner of the previous Tour de France, and I assume that he did so.
- In the 5th stage of 1972, Merckx wore the white jersey as leader of the combination classification.
- In the eighth stage of 1972, Merckx was second in the points classification, while Guimard was first in the general and points classification. If he would not have been world champion, he would have been given the green jersey. In current rules, he would still be obliged to wear the rainbow jersey, but I could not find back how the rules in 1972 were.
- In the other stages of 1972 (13th, 14th and 20th), Merckx was wearing the yellow jersey.
- Also in the ninth stage of 1975, Merckx wore the yellow jersey.
- Hinault wore the polkad-dot jersey in the 6th stage of 1981.
- In de 14th, 18th and 20th stages of 1981, Hinault wore the yellow jersey.
- Sagan won the 11th and 20th stage in 2016 while wearing the green jersey.
- In 2018, Sagan won the 5th and 13th stage in the green jersey.
- In the eighth stage of 2024 (a time trial), Evenepoel wore the white jersey.
