Cycling jersey

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 is often made very long so that the cyclist can open up the jersey to allow for ventilation. 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 few of the cycling team's sponsors.

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.

Overview of jerseys

Multi-day courses

Course	General leader	Points leader	Mountain leader	Youth leader	Other
Eneco Tour of Benelux	White jersey (Witte trui or Maillot blanc)	Red jersey (Rode trui or Maillot rouge)	There is no special jersey for the mountain leader.	Green jersey (Groen trui or Maillot vert)
Giro d'Italia	Pink jersey (Italian: maglia rosa)	Red Jersey (Italian: maglia rosso)	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 azzurra)
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	Rojo jersey or (Spanish: La Roja)	Green jersey (Spanish: Jersey Verde)	Blue Polka dot Jersey (Spanish: Jersey puntos azules)		Combined: White jersey Historical: Points:Fish jersey
Critérium du 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)
Tour of California	Yellow jersey	Green jersey	Red jersey	White jersey
Tour of Missouri	Yellow jersey	Green jersey	Aqua jersey	White jersey
Paris–Nice	Yellow jersey	Green jersey	Polka dot jersey	White jersey
Volta a Catalunya	White and Green striped jersey	Blue jersey	Red jersey
Tour de Romandie	Yellow jersey	Green jersey	Red jersey	White jersey
Vuelta al País Vasco	Yellow jersey	White jersey	Red jersey
Tour de Pologne	Yellow jersey	Blue jersey	White jersey
Tirreno–Adriatico	Blue jersey	Red jersey	Green jersey	White jersey
Tour Down Under	Ochre jersey	Blue jersey	White jersey	Black jersey	Aggressive Rider: Red jersey
Tour of Turkey	Turquoise jersey	Green jersey	Red jersey		Turkish Beauties Classification leader: White jersey
Tour de Luxembourg	Yellow jersey	Blue jersey	Green jersey	White jersey
Vuelta Mexico Telmex	(Spanish: Jersey Amarillo)	Unexistant	(Spanish: Jersey Rojo)	(Spanish: Jersey Azul)	Combativity Leader (Spanish: Jersey Verde) Best Mexican(Spanish: Jersey Blanco)

Championship Jerseys

Championship of	Jersey
World Cycling Championship	Rainbow jersey
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium	Driekleur trikot
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy	Maglia tricolore
Japan
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Mexico
Moldova
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela