When Mads Pedersen finishes the Vuelta a España in Madrid on Sunday, he will be the seventh rider in history to win two points classifications in a Grand Tour within a single season. The Dane from Lidl-Trek holds a hundred-point lead over Jonas Vingegaard, once again demonstrating his exceptional prowess on the Spanish roads
For thirty years, no rider has managed to win two points classifications in the Giro, Tour, or Vuelta in the same season. Laurent Jalabert was the last to do so in 1995. The Frenchman, riding for ONCE, was top of the points classification in both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España that year. One year earlier, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov claimed these classifications in the Giro and Tour.
Other riders who achieved this feat include Sean Kelly (Tour & Vuelta in 1985), Eddy Merckx (Giro & Vuelta in 1973), Jan Janssen (Tour & Vuelta in 1967), and Rudi Altig (Tour & Vuelta in 1962).
Also notable: Lidl-Trek has won the points classification in all three Grand Tours this season, as the green jersey in the Tour de France this year went to Jonathan Milan. An extensive exclusive interview with the Italian will appear in the autumn issue of RIDE Magazine, coming out next week.
By the way, only five riders have managed to win the points classification in all three Grand Tours, although not in the same season. These are Mark Cavendish (1x Giro, 2x Tour, 1x Vuelta), Alessandro Petacchi (2x Giro, 1x Tour, 1x Vuelta),
Laurent Jalabert (1x Giro, 2x Tour, 4x Vuelta), Djamolidine Abduzhaparov (1x Giro, 2x Tour, 1x Vuelta), Eddy Merckx (1x Giro, 3x Tour, 1x Vuelta).
Vuelta a España| Rank | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 277 | |
| 2 | 177 | |
| 3 | 135 | |
| 4 | 123 | |
| 5 | 115 | |
| 6 | 112 | |
| 7 | 93 | |
| 8 | 91 | |
| 9 | 85 | |
| 10 | 84 |
