The Tour de France Femmes has just started, with plenty of novelties, and among these there is also a small change in the white jersey regulations. Certainly welcome news, but some teams and many athletes didn't understand it. Among the 2026 novelties is therefore the white jersey, reserved for the best young rider and which this year is reserved for Under 24 riders.

It is a small regulatory revolution that went almost unnoticed until the eve of the race. The 2026 Tour de France Femmes has indeed introduced an important novelty for the young riders' classification: the white jersey will no longer be reserved for Under 23 riders, but for Under 24 riders.

A decision designed to broaden the field of contenders and give greater opportunities to young champions, but which also generated considerable confusion within the peloton. Many teams, in fact, only discovered the change just days before the start, while others learned about it almost by chance.

The modification was confirmed by the UCI, which explained how the choice was made by ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France Femmes. Teams received confirmation of the news from the president of the commissaires' jury. The objective of the modification is simple: to increase the number of athletes who can compete for the white jersey.

With the previous regulation, reserved for Under 23 riders, the number of eligible cyclists had become very limited. In 2025, there were only twelve athletes competing for the young riders' classification, won by Dutch rider Nienke Vinke.

From this year onwards, all cyclists born in 2003 or later can compete. In this way, the number of contenders has risen to 26, offering greater competitiveness and making the white jersey a concrete objective for many more teams.

A choice that represents good news for women's cycling, increasingly competitive and rich in young talents who often reach full athletic maturity a few years later than in the past. If the decision was appreciated, the way it was communicated was far less convincing.

It appears that many teams were unaware of the new regulations. Some teams had simply heard rumors in the paddock, others discovered the change only when they entered their rosters into the UCI's computer system, where some athletes suddenly appeared eligible for the young riders' classification.

Other sporting directors, meanwhile, noticed the detail by consulting the road book distributed about two months before the race, where the modification was indeed reported, but without any particular emphasis.

What was missing was an official announcement. Neither ASO nor the UCI published a specific press release, and the new regulations were not discussed during the technical meetings that traditionally precede the start of the Tour.

Among the athletes most surprised was Paula Blasi, born in 2003, who believed her experience in the young riders' category was already over. Only the day before the start did she discover she could still compete for the white jersey.

«It was a nice surprise to find out - said the UAE Team rider. But during the team meeting, it had already been said that the main objective would certainly be the yellow jersey, not the white or polka dot jersey. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it, but I'll enjoy it as much as possible».

Thanks to the new rule, other talented athletes born in 2003, such as Antonia Niedermaier of Canyon-SRAM, remain in contention for one of the Tour's most prestigious classifications.

The extension of the category to Under 24 could represent an important precedent for other major races on the women's cycling calendar.

In recent years, the level of women's cycling has grown exponentially and many athletes reach full sporting maturity precisely between the ages of 23 and 24. Expanding the age bracket means valuing a greater number of young champions and making the fight for the white jersey even more interesting.

The way the communication was handled, however, leaves some questions. Such a significant change would probably have deserved an official presentation, avoiding the doubts that accompanied the eve of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes.

In the end, the new white jersey started with different regulations and more protagonists in the race. A positive development for the women's movement, but one that could have been received with greater clarity by the organizers.