Cycling jersey
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 sport-oriented cyclist. A cycling jersey is cut long in the back to accommodate the bent-over position used in sport-oriented 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, or maillot jaune, from the Tour de France, the pink jersey, or maglia rosa, from the Giro d'Italia, and the red jersey, or la roja, from the Vuelta de Espana. The first two jerseys were given the same color as the paper their original main sponsors (both sports newspapers) were printed on: yellow and pink paper, respectively. The overall leader at the Vuelta at present wears a red jersey, although previously it has been the "maillot amarillo" (yellow jersey) and the "jersey de oro" (golden jersey). 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
Stage races
| Course | General leader | Points leader | Mountain leader | Youth leader | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eneco Tour |  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 (Groene trui or Maillot vert) |
|
| Giro d'Italia |  Pink jersey (Italian: maglia rosa) |
Red Jersey (Italian: maglia rossa) |
 Blue jersey (Italian: maglia azzurra) |
White jersey (Italian: maglia bianca) |
 Black jersey (Italian: maglia nera) |
| 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) 
Historical: 
|
| Vuelta a España | Red jersey (Spanish: La Roja) |
Green jersey (Spanish: Jersey Verde) |
 Blue Polka dot jersey (Spanish: Jersey puntos azules) |
White jerseyHistorical: 
| |
| Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré |  Yellow and blue jersey |
Green jersey |
 Red with white polka-dots jersey |
Blue jersey | |
| Tour de Suisse | Yellow jersey |
 Points jersey |
 GPM-jersey (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 | |
| Tour of the Basque Country | 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: |
| 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) |
(Spanish: Jersey Rojo) |
(Spanish: Jersey Azul) |
| |
| Tour of Britain |  Gold jersey |
Blue jersey |
White jersey |
Green jersey | |
| Tour of Qatar | Gold jersey |
 Silver jersey |
Pearl jersey | ||
| Tour of Denmark | Yellow jersey |
Blue jersey |
Dotted jersey |
White jersey |
|
