The first ever points classification was held in 1945. However, it was in 1963 that the Vuelta introduced a scoring system for this competition that’s similar to what we have today.

Unlike with the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia where the points competition is based on sprints both intermediary and at the finish of flat stages, the Vuelta’s competition is based on where a rider finishes at the end of the stage and any intermediate sprints along the way.

Furthermore, there are points awarded on mountain stages as well. This is a big difference between the Vuelta and the other two Grand Tours. It’s also why there’s a strong correlation between the points classification winner and the overall Vuelta race winner.

Vuelta a Espana betting sites have released their odds for the points classification. Let’s take a closer look at this competition, identify the best betting options, and predict who will win the green jersey.

? Favoritos para el maillot verde / Green jersey: contenders ?

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Cycling: La Vuelta a Espana Betting Odds. While every effort is made to ensure that the Cycling betting information displayed here is correct and up to date, we are not liable for any errors and it is your responsibility to check the Cycling odds with the bookmaker before placing a bet. Reuters.com brings you the latest news from around the world, covering breaking news in markets, business, politics, entertainment, technology, video and pictures. Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 10: Roglic for glory The ITT on La Vuelta is played out on undulating terrain. The route amounts to 36.2 kilometres, while Primoz Roglic is the most prominent contender.

— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) October 18, 2020

Previous Points Classification Winners

Sean Kelly, Laurent Jalabert and Alejandro Valverde hold the record for the most all time wins of this competition with four apiece. Primoz Roglic won this competition in 2019 and returns to this year’s Vuelta to defend his overall crown.

The following is a list of previous winners dating back to 2010:

• Mark Cavendish in 2010
• Bauke Mollema in 2011
• Alejandro Valverde in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018
• John Degenkolb in 2014
• Favio Felline in 2016
• Chris Froome in 2017
• Primoz Roglic in 2019

Vuelta a Espana Betting Odds

The following cycling betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

• Primoz Roglic (+175)
• Sam Bennett (+250)
• Alejandro Valverde (+400)
• Tom Dumoulin (+1000)
• Pascal Ackermann (+1200)
• Thibaut Pinot (+1800)
• Magnus Cort Nielsen (+2000)
• Alexander Vlasov (+2500)
• Jasper Philpsen (+2500)
• Richard Carapaz(+2500)
• Alex Aranburu (+2800)
• Chris Froome (+2800)
• Enric Mas Nicolau (+4000)
• Michael Woods(+4000)
• Ivan Sosa (+5000)
• Sepp Kuss (+5000)
• Matteo Moschetti (+6600)
• Dan Martin (+8000)

Roglic puts Tour de France loss behind him as Vuelta a España defence begins.

Jumbo-Visma head to Spain with stacked team #vuelta2020https://t.co/swGfJPBnRJpic.twitter.com/oqhSjGbXnr

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) October 19, 2020

Top Choices for the Green Jersey Competition

Based on the cyclists in this year’s Vuelta a Espana, the following riders are the best choices to win this year’s Points Classification:

Primoz Roglic (+175)

Last year, Roglic took this competition by 19 points over Tadej Pogacar. Roglic’s finishes on the mountain stages helped him beat out sprinters like Sam Bennett who was 21 points behind.

Roglic would go on to win last year’s red jersey competition as well. Furthermore, he’s the betting favorite to win the Vuelta a Espana this year. You have to like Roglic’s chances of sweeping the red and green jerseys once again.

Sam Bennett (+250)

Sam Bennett is the best of the sprinters to take the field for the Vuelta. He ended Peter Sagan’s green jersey reign at the Tour de France and is now looking to capture his first Vuelta points classification.

Bennett has only competed in two races since the TDF, so his legs should be fresh. The only concern is how Bennett will do in the six mountain stages.

Expect Bennett to take all of the intermediate sprint points that he can get, in order to compete for the overall win in this competition.

Valverde: We have to race the Vuelta a España like a series of Classics.

Movistar leader warns 'this can be lost from day one'https://t.co/vl5A2K8Siepic.twitter.com/prZhY0FlDc

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) October 19, 2020

Alejandro Valverde (+400)

As mentioned, Alejandro Valverde has won this competition four times. His latest victory came in 2018, but he also has four runner ups and three third place results. That gives Valverde 11 Top 3 results in this points competition.

Despite being 40 years of age, Valverde finished 4^th last year in this competition and has raced well in 2020 so far. He was 12^th at the Tour de France and 8^th in the World Championships road race.

You can never count out Valverde in the Vuelta especially when it comes to the green jersey.

Tom Dumoulin (+1000)

Dumoulin is the second overall betting favorite to win the Vuelta a Espana. So, it’s not a surprise that he’s one of the favorites for the points classification as well.

Dumoulin will follow the same path to victory in this competition that Valverde and Roglic have perfected over the last few years.

That path is to finish high on the mountain stages and not too far back in the sprint finishes. The one concern for Dumoulin is that he will be racing for his leader Primoz Roglic, so be cautious if you are looking at “Tommy D.” to win this competition.

Pascal Ackermann (+1200)

The German rider is one of the top contenders to compete with Sam Bennett when it comes to the sprints. He’s looked strong in sprint finishes over the few races that he’s competed in.

At the BickBank Tour, Ackermann was 3^rd in the first two stages. However, it was at Tirreno-Adriatico where Ackerman won that event’s points classification.

The biggest concern is he will have to beat out Sam Bennett to have a shot at winning this competition. As of now, I don’t see that happening.

Richard Carapaz (+2500)

Carapaz comes into this year’s Vuelta as the leader of Team INEOS. He has a strong supporting cast that features the return of Chris Froome.

Carapaz has raced well this year with a 13^th in the Tour de France and a 2^nd in the mountains classification. Since this year’s Vuelta has numerous mountain stages, Carapaz could really take advantage of these summits and contend for this points competition.

Additionally, I believe that the 2019 Giro d’Italia winner will be a contender for the overall race win. Carapaz offers the best betting value to win the points classification as he’s a favorite to land on the podium by time it’s all said and done.

Who Will Win the Points Classification?

My top four candidates to win this competition are: Roglic, Valverde, Carapaz and Bennett.

?? LINE-UP: VUELTA A ESPAÑA ??

We're taking on @lavuelta with:

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However, with the number of mountain stages, the poor weather, and the peaks that these riders have to climb, I like Roglic or Carapaz to win the points classification. Since we can only pick one, I’m taking Roglic to win this competition and the overall race as well.

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With last week's announcement that Tom Dumoulin would be taking an indefinite leave from racing, the Jumbo-Visma management face the delicate task of deciding on their Tour de France strategy and selection.

While the Dutch team have publicly and privately backed Dumoulin as he takes stock ahead of his next move, the reality is that they cannot wait until late July to see if the former Giro d'Italia winner will be eligible for the Tour.

The team must begin the process of finding a replacement, even if it's provisional, especially after initially announcing that Dumoulin would be given co-leadership alongside Primož Roglič.

Cyclingnews takes a look at the possible replacements from within their squad.

George Bennett

Age: 30

Tour de France experience: A veteran of four Tours, he’s helped teammates finish on the podium in both 2019 and 2020.

Possible role: Bennett came in for the injured Laurens De Plus last year and performed admirably in the mountains as Roglic secured second overall. The Kiwi, like last year, was hoping to target the Giro d’Italia and the Olympics this time around and this might feel like Groundhog Day for the 30-year-old if he’s asked to once more sacrifice his own ambitions for the greater good.

The Olympic Games might not happen anyway, which would somewhat soften the blow if Bennett is forced to change races, but the team management must deliberate the ramifications of dragging away a rider who has been patient for so long.

Bennett is the most experienced rider the team have if they’re looking to find a rider capable of coming close Dumoulin’s staying power in the mountains. However shifting Bennett to the Tour would also dilute their Giro ambitions.

Sam Oomen

Age: 25

Tour de France experience: Three Giro and a Vuelta but no Tour experience.

Possible role: He’s the new kid on the block, having followed Dumoulin over to Jumbo-Visma 12 months after his teammate made the crossing.

The former Tour de l’Ain winner is arguably an easier fit than Bennett given that he wasn’t originally down to ride either the Giro or the Tour, and was instead targeting a super domestique spot at the Vuelta, but he’s not as consistent or as experienced.

Oomen can climb – he finished in the top-10 at the 2018 Giro – and despite injuries in recent years he has unquestionable talent. He could soak up plenty of the domestique duties for Jumbo-Visma at the Tour, even if he isn’t in the same caliber of Dumoulin when it comes to leadership or experience, but no matter who is finally selected, the final team will be entirely dialed around Roglič.

Antwan Tolhoek

Vuelta A Espana Tv Coverage

Age: 26

Tour de France experience: A highly creditable 37th in 2018.

Possible role: After a memorable Tour display in 2018, and then a fine stage win in the Tour de Suisse a season later, Tolhoek’s progression plateaued in 2021. Like Oomen, he wasn’t scheduled for the Tour or Giro, but he has experience from 2018 and he’s a solid mountain domestique.

He has perhaps dropped down the pecking order in recent times due to some of the team’s new arrivals, but if Jumbo-Visma want a dependable rider to take Dumoulin’s place then Tolhoek is a fine understudy.

Jonas Vingegaard

Age: 24

Tour de France experience: Just one Vuelta in his locker but he’s made huge progress since joining the WorldTour in 2019.

Possible role: Vingegaard's presence on this list might come as a surprise but he’s a name that has come up internally as the team look to fill their eighth and final spot for the Tour.

In a very real sense, his presence appears plausible. Jumbo-Visma don’t have a like-for-like as they look for a Dumoulin alternative so the theory is that the team will look to strengthen in other areas, free up some responsibility elsewhere, and then expect more from the core group of climbers who would be fresher due to the presence of a rider who may not be as dependable as a Robert Gesink or Sepp Kuss but has certainly improved in the last 12 months.

Koen Bouwman

Vuelta Espana Us Tv Coverage

Age: 27

Tour de France experience: Five Grand Tour starts but no Tour experience.

Possible role: Won a stage in the Critérium du Dauphiné from the break in 2017 and has since settled into the role of a domestique in Grand Tours who can have a rare chance for himself in some of the smaller races.

Bouwman has been slated for the Giro as one of Bennett's mountain men and taking him away from the Kiwi would seriously dent Bennett’s GC protection. Bouwman is a consistent all-rounder but he’s not the favourite to make Tour start at this point.

Lennard Hofstede

Age: 26

Tour de France experience: Four Grand Tour stars but zero Tour de France experience.

Possible role: Another former Sunweb rider, Hofstede came through the ranks at the Rabobank development team and returned to his roots at the start of 2019. He’s a versatile rider but wasn’t scheduled to ride any of the Grand Tours when Jumbo-Visma announced their initial plans earlier this month.

Vuelta De Espana

That may change given the recent news, and even if a Tour spot doesn’t open up there will certainly be chances for the 26-year-old to slot in at some point during the season.