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

Contents

Origin

Overview of jerseys

Multi-day courses

Championships

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'	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 trui 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'Historical': ★ Combined overall leader: combined jersey ★ Intermediate sprint leader: Red jersey
'Vuelta a España'	Golden jersey or Amarillo jersey	Fish jersey	Red jersey	White jersey
'Dauphine Libere'	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)

Championships

Championship of	Jersey
World Cycling Championship	Rainbow jersey
Belgium
The Netherlands