Cyclist
The 9 best leaders’ jerseys in cycling
Beyond the spectrum of pro team jerseys, cycling’s style gets put to the test in every stage race with a selection of leaders jerseys to help the best riders stand out in the peloton.
Whether it’s transcendent icons like the Tour de France’s yellow jersey or left-field choices of smaller races that need more publicity, there are plenty of leaders’ jerseys in cycling that wouldn’t look out of place on the walls of an art museum.
We’ve ranked our favourites with an honourable mention to a throwback or two that needs to return. Let’s count them down.
9. Tour de Luxembourg mountains classification
It’s not often we see a sleek all-black jersey design. One was previously worn at the Giro d’Italia by the last rider across the line, but this was ended in 1951.
Riders at the men’s Tour de Luxembourg fight for a blue and yellow leader’s jersey while the mountain goats look resplendent in black.
8. Baloise Ladies Tour general classification
Not quite pink, not quite purple. An online colour picker deems this from Baloise Ladies Tour as ‘red-violet’ and it’s simply divine, as seen on Lorena Wiebes at last year’s race.
The minimalist logo of a woman riding her bike is printed across the sleeves is a nice touch. The printing machine must not have been working for SD Worx-Protime though, who had to draw on their logo with sharpie. 11/10 for improvisation.
7. Bretagne Ladies Tour mountains classification
The Bretagne Ladies Tour has a whole host of beautiful jerseys to choose from, whether it’s the youth jersey with pink flowers on the sides or a the pink/purple jersey with blue accompaniments.
But the mountains jersey really takes the cake. Won by Lotto’s Thalita de Jong last year, it starts with a blue colour reminiscent of a warm summer’s day and is decorated by pink flowers.
6. Arctic Race of Norway mountains classification
The Arctic Race of Norway’s mountains classification awards a peacock jersey to the best climber.
It’s marmite and ostentatious but we think it’s spectacular.
5. Tour Féminin de l’Ardèche stage winner
Riders don’t normally get a jersey for winning a stage, but things are different at the Tour Féminin de l’Ardèche. The six-day race presents the day’s victor with a harlequin-inspired jersey on the podium.
Beat that, EF.
4. Vuelta a Burgos general classification
No doubt about it, this is one of the best stage race leader jerseys going. The Vuelta a Burgos stretches across four days for the women and five for the men, awarding the top rider with a design akin to an iridescent oil puddle, flecks of pink and blue and purple fighting one another for space.
It’s almost too similar to the Burgos-BH kit or even to some extent the new SD Worx-Protime jersey, but it’s just so good that who cares?
3. Tour de France mountains classification
1975 was an important year in Tour de France history. Not only did it mark the first appearance of the race’s finish on the Champs-Élysées, but also the introduction of the polka dot jersey. Signifying the leader of the mountains classification – which has been in place since 1933 – the red dots on a white background borrows inspiration from Henri Lemoine and later became the wrapping for the chocolate bars of classification sponsor Chocolat Poulain.
Now it’s sponsored by E.Leclerc and was most recently seen on the shoulders of Richard Carapaz and Justine Ghekiere.
2. Tour de France general classification
Is this the most famous jersey in cycling? Ask someone on the street about the yellow jersey and you might just get the corresponding race.
Ever since 1919, the leader of the Tour de France has been awarded a yellow jersey. Like the Giro and La Gazzetta dello Sport, its bright colour is derived from the yellow paper used by L’Auto, the newspaper that began organising the race in 1903.
It’s as iconic as they come but it doesn’t quite reach the top spot…
1. Giro d’Italia general classification
The Giro d’Italia’s maglia rosa is a nod to the pink paper that Italian newspaper (and race creator) La Gazzetta dello Sport is printed on. While the colour is a perfect baby pink that wouldn’t be out of place in the Barbie movie, sometimes it’s the little things that make a good jersey.
When Tadej Pogačar successfully completed the first half of his historic Giro-Tour double last year, the zip featured the Giro logo. But for 2023, Bruno Armirail wore a jersey decorated with the Trofeo Senza Fine on the zip, which is the trophy awarded to the overall winner.
It blends history, fashion and visibility in the peloton. It doesn’t get better than this.
Honourable mentions
Tour de France: Combination jersey
Bring this back immediately. The Tour de France used to run a combination classification from 1968 to 1989 that combined points based on positioning in the main classifications – the rider with the lowest number of points would wear the combination jersey.
This striking design that combines elements of the other jerseys, like yellow for the maillot jaune and green for the maillot vert, only came into circulation from 1985. It was short-lived sadly as the classification was discontinued after the 1989 race.
Volta a Comunitat Valenciana: 75th anniversary
2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and brought special edition jerseys for all the classifications. They’re inspired by the movement of waves from the Mediterranean Sea and bring memories of 90s adverts – specifically for the rainbow art set that packed different colours on the same brush.
Just us?
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