Cycling jersey

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Commercial version of maillot jaune, 2004

A cycling jersey is a specialized jersey (shirt) for cycling. While the vast majority of cyclists worldwide wear conventional clothing while riding, a jersey offers certain advantages for the serious cyclist. A cycling jersey is cut long in the back to accommodate the bent-over position used in serious cycling. Any pockets on the jersey are placed on the back panel as front pockets would tend to spill. The zipper, on a men's jersey at least, is often made very long so that the cyclist can open up the jersey when he gets hot. The cycling jersey is usually worn with a tight fit in order to reduce air resistance. Jerseys are made from a material designed to wick moisture from the skin, keeping the cyclist cooler and more comfortable.

Professional cycling is heavily sponsored; the traditional cycling jersey is printed with the logos of a cycling team's few sponsors.

[edit] Origin

The best known jerseys are probably the yellow jersey from the Tour de France and the pink jersey from the Giro d'Italia. These jerseys were given the same color as the paper their original main sponsors (both sports newspapers) were printed on: yellow and pink paper, respectively. Many other jerseys are colored or designed after a sponsor's logo, and some jerseys change color when a new sponsor is found.

[edit] Overview of jerseys

[edit] Multi-day courses

Course	General leader	Points leader	Mountain leader	Youth leader	Other
Eneco Tour of Benelux	Red jersey (Rode trui or Maillot rouge)	Blue jersey (Blauwe trui or Maillot bleu)	There is no special jersey for the mountain leader.	Yellow jersey (Gele trui or Maillot jaune
Giro d'Italia	Pink jersey (Italian: maglia rosa)	Cyclamen jersey (Italian: maglia ciclamino)	Green jersey (Italian: maglia verde)	White jersey (Italian: maglia bianca)	Last in race: Black jersey (Italian: maglia nera) Intermediate Sprints: Sky-blue jersey (or maglia azzura)
Tour de France	Yellow jersey (French: maillot jaune)	Green jersey (French: maillot vert)	Polka dot jersey (French: maillot à pois rouges)	White jersey (French: maillot blanc)	Last in race: Red lantern (figure of speech) Most combative: Red number Leading Team: Yellow Number Historical: Combined overall leader: combined jersey Intermediate sprint leader: Red jersey
Vuelta a España	Golden jersey or (Spanish: Jersey Oro)				Combined: White jersey Historical: Points:Fish jersey
Dauphiné Libéré	Yellow and blue jersey	Green jersey	Red with white polka-dots jersey		Combined: Blue jersey
Tour de Suisse	Yellow jersey	Points jersey	GPM-jersey (dependent on sponsor)		Sprint leader: ? Leading group: (dependent on sponsor)