Tour de France 101: What do different color jerseys mean? - CSMonitor.com Tour de France 101: What do different color jerseys mean? Andy Schleck of Luxembourg (l.) and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, ride in the pack during the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Friday. Christophe Ena/AP of What do the different color Tour de France jerseys mean? YELLOW: The maillot jaune, the yellow jersey, is the signature chemise of the Tour de France . It designates the overall leader of the race so far. When cyclists finish the three-week race by cruising through the streets of Paris , the photo of the yellow-shirted winner is seen around the globe. The yellow jersey is awarded after each of the 20 stages, or race days, to the rider who is the overall leader of the race so far. Each day the total amount of time taken to finish that stage is added to the cumulative time of all previous races, and the overall leader is determined. The next day, he wears the yellow throughout the stage. Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test?

GREEN: The green jersey, or maillot vert, is the sprinter’s jersey. At every stage, points are awarded to the first 10-25 riders that cross the finish line. The amount of sprint points awarded depends on the day’s course (a flat course produces more points than the mountain terrain) and in what place the rider finishes that day. Some stages have mini-sprints within the stage that are worth points. German Erik Zabel holds the record for winning the final green jersey in the Tour six consecutive times, between 1996 and 2001. Photos of the Day Photos of the day 02/08 WHITE WITH RED POLKA DOTS: This is the King of the Mountains jersey. Points are awarded to the first rider to reach the crest of designated hills and mountains. Mountains are graded according to steepness, length, and position on the course, and points correspond to the grade. The best climber awards began in 1933, and the maillot à pois rouges was first worn in 1975. WHITE: This jersey is worn by the fastest overall rider under the age of 25 (on Jan.

1 in the year of the race). The first white jersey was worn in 1975. There are other prizes and competitions within the Tour de France that don’t involve jerseys. For example, the most combative rider of each stage – the one who tries to break clear of the field – will wear a red number on a white background, instead of the usual black on white. And the team prize – based on the team with the fastest three riders – wears a black number on a yellow background. More Tour de France 101 stories: Tour de France jersey colours and prize money – a guide - BikeRadar BikeRadar Procycling Magazine Procycling brings you the colour, action and drama of the world's most spectacular sport in a glossy and dynamic magazine. It's the authoritative, worldwide voice of international professional road racing, distributed in every country where there are English-speaking fans. With exclusive features and spectacular photography, Procycling brings to life the complexities, rivalries and hardships of the European professional scene. Cycling Plus Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist. Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need.

Every issue is packed with expert reviews of the latest road bikes and gear, inspirational routes and rides, evocative features that take you inside every aspect of cycling and unmatched nutrition, fitness and training advice. What Mountain Bike UK What Mountain Bike is the magazine that gets to the heart of what matters in mountain biking. Whether it's new bikes, fresh kit, inspiring photography or the low down on the latest trail developments, What Mountain Bike has something for every rider. Our team cuts through jargon and marketing spin to tell you what you need to know, with honest, informed opinions and a wealth of experience. Mountain Biking UK Mountain Biking UK celebrates everything that is great about mountain biking, enabling people of all abilities and ages to have a better time on their bike. MBUK brings you all the latest news, coolest kit, plus exclusive info on the newest and best bikes that you can buy. June 28, 2014 8:00am GMT Share on Facebook Tour de France jersey colours and prize money - a guide Plus other rules explained and frequently asked questions answered 1 / 9 All the 2013 jerseys together.

L-R: Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Chris Froome (Sky), Peter Sagan (Cannondale) (Tim de Waele) 2 / 9 Chris Froome accepts his yellow jersey on the Champs Elysees in Paris last year. Can he make it two in a row? (Tim de Waele) The white jersey for the best young rider (Courtesy) The Tour de France yellow jersey, with the white rose of Yorkshire emblem (Courtesy) The green jersey for the most consistent finisher (Courtesy) The disinctive polka dot jersey for the best climber (Courtesy) Speeds in the Tour can be very high, over 60km/h on the flat sometimes (AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 9 Mountain categories are decided by the severity of the climb and its position in the stage, among other things (AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 9 Not everyone can cross the line at once.

To avoid everyone contesting the finish, each rider in a given bunch is awarded the same time (AFP/Getty Images) Skip Ad On Saturday, 5 July, the 2014 Tour de France will begin in Yorkshire and a battle for the yellow jersey will start. While competition for the fabled maillot jaune towers over the three-week race, other contests add to the rich tapestry of the race's 101st edition. Here, BikeRadar runs through the meanings behind the yellow, green, polka dot and white jersey colours, and who we think are the favourites are to win them. Yellow jersey (maillot jaune) Awarded to the rider with the lowest aggregated time after each stage. For 2014, the route contains numerous opportunities for contenders to attack. There are six designated mountain stages, of which five are summit finishes. This year there's just one time trial – a 54km race on stage 20 that could be decisive in annointing the winner. Along the way, yellow jersey favourites will have to avoid crashes and beware of traps set by rival teams in crosswinds or over tricky terrain.

Unlike the Giro d’Italia , there are no time bonuses awarded for winning stages.The final overall winner of the yellow jersey will take home €450,000, which will typically be split among his teammates. Favourites: Chris Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Tejay van Garderen (BMC) The tour de france yellow jersey, with the white rose of yorkshire emblem: the tour de france yellow jersey, with the white rose of yorkshire emblem Tour de France maillot jaune Green jersey (maillot vert) The green jersey points competition was established more than 60 years ago for the most consistent finisher. Competition rules mean it’s weighted towards sprinters – more points are on offer on flat stages than medium mountain, high mountain and individual TT stages. On a sprint stage, the winner collects 45 points; on a medium mountain stage, 30 points; in the high mountains and individual time trial stages, just 20 points. Points are awarded on a sliding scale down to 15th place.

Additionally, green jersey points are awarded at intermediate sprints, down to 15 riders – 20 points for first place down to one for the 15th rider. The competition structure means strategy is just as key as pure speed – contenders can gamble all and target the finales of the nine flat sprint stages, or try to escape the peloton and hoover up points on intermediate sprints. It’s an intriguing battle that begins on the very first day and can last right up to the final sprint on the Champs-Élysées. The winner will collect €25,000. Favourites: Peter Sagan ( Cannondale ), Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Marcel Kittel The green jersey for the most consistent finisher: the green jersey for the most consistent finisher The maillot vert is for the most consistent finisher Polka dot jersey Red polka dots denote the best climber, defined by the rider who accumulates the most points cresting hills and mountains at the front of the race. Summits are classified according to difficulty – fourth category climbs are mild, HC climbs are leg breakers.

As with the green jersey, points are awarded on sliding scales for lesser-placed finishers. In a further twist, polka dot points are doubled on the five summit finish days (La Planche des Belle Filles, Chamrousse, Risoul, Pla d'Adet and Hautacam). The battle for the jersey will likely burst into life on stage nine when the peloton tackle six categorised climbs during the 170km stage. The probable route to the €25,000 prize lies in targeting category one (10 points for the winner) and HC climbs (25 points) and being very close to the front on days when points are doubled. The structure means someone well-placed on the general classification stands a good chance of collecting this jersey. Favourites: Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol), Vincenzo Nibali, Thibaut Pinot The disinctive polka dot jersey for the best climber: the disinctive polka dot jersey for the best climber Specialist climbers will be after the polka dot jersey White jersey Awarded to the best young rider in the general classification.

To be eligible for the €20,000 prize, riders must be aged 25 or under. Favourites: Tejay van Garderen BMC; Rohan Dennis ( Garmin -Sharp) The white jersey for the best young rider: the white jersey for the best young rider The simple white jersey Team competition The battle for best team is an underrated one that usually simmers for three weeks. The competition is based on adding the times of each team’s first three finishers at every stage finale. The winning squad will have with the lowest accumulated time, and take home €50,000. Favourites: BMC Racing, Tinkoff-Saxo Bank, AG2R-La Mondiale Most aggressive rider Watch out for a rider wearing a red race number (dossard rouge) – it denotes that they were the most aggressive rider the previous day, based largely on the amount of time they spent the breakaway. However, it also has a subjective element; an eight-person jury of cycling experts conclude on winners. At the end of the 21 stages, the jury awards €20,000 to the ‘super-combative’ rider.

Favourites: Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), Arthur Vichot (FDJ.fr) Other frequently asked questions about the Tour de France What's the average speed of the Tour de France? The average speed of modern editions of the Tour de France is typically in the region of 40km/h (25mph). The fastest ever Tour de France average speed was 41.654 km/h (25.88mph) over the 3608km of the 2005 edition. Note, the winner that year, Lance Armstrong, was subsequently disqualified from all his Tour victories for doping. The 2010-2012 editions of the Tour averaged between 39.5 and 40km/h. Last year the speed crept up to 40.5km/h. The fastest average speed in a mass start road stage of the Tour de France is 50.355 km/h over 194.5km by Mario Cipollini in the Laval-Blois stage in 1999 .

The fastest ever prologue time trial (under 8km) is 55.152km/h over 7.2km, set by Chris Boardman in the prologue of the 1994 Tour de France in Liege. The fastest mid-length (8-30km) time trial was 54.676km/h over 19km set by David Zabriskie in the first stage of the 2005 Tour. The fastest long time trial is 54.359km/h over 49km, ridden by David Millar in stage 19 of the 2003 Tour. Average speeds in the Tour are influenced by wind direction and strength, hilliness, aerodynamics, weight, tactics and, of course, rider power output. How long is the Tour de France? The Tour's length has changed greatly since it first started in 1903 with a 2,428km race. The following year was the shortest ever Tour at 2,420km, before the trend towards longer races took hold.

This peaked in 1926 with a 5,745km race, which was the longest ever Tour de France. Since 1999, the Tour's length has varied between 3,282km and 3,657km run over 21 stages. The 2014 Tour de France is 3,664km long. Why do so many riders have the same finish time? They can't all cross the line together surely? Not everyone can cross the line at once. to avoid everyone contesting the finish, each rider in a given bunch is awarded the same time: Not everyone can cross the line at once. To avoid everyone contesting the finish, each rider in a given bunch is awarded the same time It's impossible for 180 riders to all cross the line simultaneously, of course, so the Tour (and most other stage races) operates the legal fiction that all the riders in the race's main pack cross the line at the same time as the first rider of that group. But if a split forms and the gap is larger than one second, the next group gets the time of the first rider of that group.

Overall, it's designed to save a mad rush for the line and in most cases it's too difficult to allocate separate times. How is the teams classification calculated? The teams classification is calculated based on the total time of the first three riders across the line from each team each day, rather than the first three riders on general classification from each team. The winner of this classification is the team with the lowest cumulative overall time at the end of 20 stages. If a team is reduced to less than three riders, they are eliminated from the teams competition. How do you get a negative number of points in the points classification? A number of readers have commented on a curiosity in the points classification in the fight for the green jersey, where some riders actually have negative points. This arises because the organisers impose penalties for various infractions in a number of ways. The most common is a monetary fine, paid in Swiss francs. A harsher penalty is to add time from the rider's GC time, or deduct points from their points tally. If the rider has been particularly naughty, they will be disqualified from the race.

Riders can be penalised in a lot of ways, for example, hanging onto a team car, or taking too many 'bottles' from the director sportif; answering the call of nature in front of the public (when you gotta go, you gotta go); causing another rider to crash, or otherwise riding dangerously in the bunch; hitching a ride to the finish in the Tour director, Christian Prudhomme's car; giving spectators the evil eye, and so on. What method is used to decide who wears the green jersey when two riders are tied on points? When two riders have an equal number of points, the criteria used to decide who should wear the green jersey is the rider with the most number of second places where points have been allocated, then the most number of third places, and so on. What do the climb categories mean? Mountain categories are decided by the severity of the climb and its position in the stage, among other things: Mountain categories are decided by the severity of the climb and its position in the stage, among other things Climbs are graded according to their severity, from fourth (easy) to first (hard) category, plus the very hardest climbs which are considered 'hors categorie' or 'beyond category'.

The gradings take into account the length and steepness of the climb and the position of the climb in the stage, with the quality of the road surface making up a final, less important factor. How are the gradients calculated? A grade of, say, 10 percent, simply means that the road ascends 10m for every 100m it travels horizontally. For those with a mathematical bent, it's a simple tangent ratio. Climb grades are averages for the whole climb, so a straightforward-sounding six percent grade can hide some much steeper pitches that make it a monster. So how fast are these guys, really? Average speeds, even across the same race route, can vary markedly depending on the tactics employed by various teams. Generally speaking, on a flat-ish stage of around 200km in length, the average speed of the peloton would be in excess of 50 km/h on the flatter sections and around 60 km/h in the final kilometres of the stage.

Speeds in the tour can be very high, over 60km/h on the flat sometimes: Speeds in the Tour can be very high, over 60km/h on the flat sometimes Obviously for a break to stay away, they need to be moving faster than the peloton; and by using time checks from the race organisers as well as information from team directors, the riders in the break know what speed they need to be travelling at to stay away and the riders in the bunch know what speed they need to be moving at to catch the break – which is why it almost seems to happen like clockwork when the peloton bridge the gap to the breakaway group, often with less than 10km to go. Climbing speeds are particularly difficult to place an arbitrary figure on due to the huge variation in gradients, relative altitude, temperature, wind velocity and direction, and road surfaces. Again, generally speaking, on a climb like Mont Ventoux with an average gradient of around 7.5 percent, the riders in the "laughing group" would be travelling at around 10km/h on the steeper sections of the climb due to its severity.

Again, the speeds encountered in bunch sprints vary depending on the type of finish; however the winners in previous stages of the Tour de France have reached speeds in excess of 70km/h. Now that's movin'. How do the organisers decide the start order for the prologue and following time trials throughout the race? The start order for the prologue of any Grand Tour is determined by race management, with last year's winner always riding last. The start order for the following time trials is based on a rider's time on general classification from the stage prior to the time trial, with the riders lowest on the overall classification leaving first. If a rider was first last year and wears number 1, why doesn't last year's second place wear number 2? The only rider number that indicates the placing of a rider from the previous year's race is the overall winner. There is no particular order for the riders from other teams, though it is customary for the team's protected GC rider to also wear the dossard that ends in a one – 11, 31 181, etc.

Related Links Jerseys of the Tour de France Home > Events > Cycling > Tour de France > Jerseys Jerseys of the Tour de France In the Tour, a colored jersey is generally associated with each prize, and the current holder of the prize is required to wear the jersey when racing. The rider leading a classification at the end of a stage is required to wear the corresponding jersey during the next stage. Jerseys are awarded in a ceremony immediately following the stage. Where a single rider leads in the competition for more than one jersey, they wear the most prestigious jersey to which they are entitled, and the second-placed rider in each of the other classifications becomes entitled to wear the corresponding jersey. Yellow Jersey The yellow jersey, known in French as the maillot jaune, is worn by the overall time leader, and is the most prized jersey. It is awarded by calculating the total combined race time up to that point for each rider. The yellow jersey was first awarded in 1919 to make the race leader stand out. The color yellow was chosen because the pages of the race sponsor's magazine, L'Auto, were yellow.

Green Jersey The green jersey, known in French as the maillot vert, is awarded to the cyclist with the highest number of sprint points. Points for this jersey are gained by the riders who finish first, second, etc., at the end of each stage. The number of points for each place and the number of riders rewarded varies depending on the type of stage as the flatter stages are more likely to result in a sprint finish. Flat stages give the winner 35 points down to 1 point for the 25th rider; medium mountain stages give the winner 25 points down to 1 point for the 20th rider; high mountain stages give the winner 20 points down to 1 point for the 15th rider. Points are also awarded for individual time trial stages: 15 for the winner down to 1 for the 10th rider. Additional points are available at intermediate sprint contests, usually occurring 2 or 3 times in each stage at pre-determined locations; currently 6, 4 and 2 points are available to the first 3 riders at each sprint.

Polka Dot Jersey The winner of the King of the Mountain wears a white jersey with red dots (known as the maillot à pois rouges in French), which is commonly referred to as the "polka dot jersey". Although the best climber was first recognized in 1933 as the "King of the Mountain", the distinctive polka dot jersey was not introduced until 1975. The colors were decided by the then sponsor, Poulain Chocolate, to match a popular product. At the top of each climb in the Tour, there are points awarded for the riders who are first over the top. The climbs are divided into categories, from 1 to 4 based on their difficulty with 1 being the most difficult, measured as a function of their steepness and length. A fifth category, called Hors categorie (outside category) is formed by mountains even more difficult than those of the number 1 category. In 2004, the scoring system was changed so that the first rider over a fourth category climb was awarded 3 points while the first to complete a hors category climb would win 20 points.

Further points over a fourth category climb are only for the top three places while on a hors category climb the top ten riders are rewarded. Also, beginning in 2004, the points scored on the final climb of the day were doubled if such a climb was at least a second category climb. White Jersey A lesser classification is that for the white jersey (known as the maillot blanc in French), which is like the yellow jersey, but only open for young riders (those who are less than 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden). Other (non-jersey) Awards There is a special award for the cyclist that shows the most "fighting spirit" as determined by a group of judges based on points awarded to riders who made particularly attacking moves that day. The rider with most points in total gets a white-on-red (instead of a black-on-white) identification number. Then there is a team classification which is determined by adding the time of the first three riders from each team after each stage. Historically, the team classification is not associated with a particular jersey design, though starting in 2006, the leading team wears a yellow number attached to their jersey instead of the standard white.

Old Jerseys There are a few jersey that are no longer awarded. There used to be a red jersey awarded for the standings in non-stage-finish sprints. This jersey and award was abolished in 1989. The red jersey was determined by adding points which were awarded to the first three riders to pass two or three intermediate locations during the stage. These sprints also scored points towards the green jersey and bonus seconds towards the overall classification, as well as cash prizes offered by the residents of the area where the sprint took place. The sprints still remain in the Tour with the bonus seconds, prizes and points towards the green jersey are still awarded There was also a combination jersey, which had a patchwork design, with areas resembling each individual jersey design. This jersey was presented to the leader of a points system based on standings for the yellow, green, red, and polka-dot jerseys. This was abolished in 1989, the same year the red jersey was abolished. Other Jerseys Rainbow Jersey The current world champion can wear the rainbow jersey when he competes in the Tour de France.

National Jerseys The current national road race champions can wear their national jerseys in "ordinary stages", while the national time-trial champions are allowed to wear their national jerseys in the time-trial stages only. Share: The simple guide to the Tour de France | Cycling 26 Jun 2015 - 6:55pm The simple guide to the Tour de France Didi Senft is arguably the Tour de France's most fanatical observer. He's always dressed as a devil, and you'll see him throughout the race on SBS (DPA) Every year, millions of people around the world tune in to the Tour de France, the world’s biggest bike race. But what makes it so attractive? By WATCH THE TOUR ON SBS More Tour de France than ever before this July on SBS SBS brings Australian audiences more Tour de France than ever before, with over 100 extra hours of the world’s most iconic cycling race. It’s no exaggeration to declare the event epic in scale, so to help those of you who are new to the race, or indeed new to the sport of cycling, here are some key facts to help enhance your enjoyment of SBS’s LIVE and exclusive coverage.

You might also end up being an instant expert on the race, which is handy, because it’s all anyone will be talking for the next month or so. And make sure you check out our Tour 101 videos page for more explainers on how the whole race works. Why should I watch? If you don’t, you’re missing out. Roughly half the world’s population, if race organisers are to be believed, watch the Tour. It is enormously popular, and across nearly 190 nations, the cumulative audience is probably very close to 3.5 billion, making the Tour de France the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Everybody watches the Tour de France, even these guys (Getty Images) Aside from the billions of people that tune in to watch on TV, around 12 million more line the route to see the race up close and personal. Around three million attended the opening three stages alone in 2014, which rolled through parts of the UK. Potted history Le Tour, as lovers of the race refer to it, was pioneered by a French journalist, way back at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Géo Lefèvre, who wrote for L’Auto magazine, formulated the somewhat insane plan to ride across almost 2500km of the country. Perhaps as a dare, his editor, Henri Desgrange, allowed it to go ahead, and Le Tour was born on 1 July 1903. Sixty riders took part in that inaugural race, which was completed in just six stages, a far cry from today’s 21 stages. One of those stages saw the riders grind out a distance of 471km in one outing, which took them from Nantes to Paris. Not all the riders made it. Of the 60 that started pedalling, just 21 of them completed the race. The sheer brutality of those early races captured the imagination of the French public, and before long Le Tour had become an integral part of the nation’s fabric and culture, ballooning into the huge spectacle it is today. Dissecting distance This year’s Tour de France route will cover 3360km. To put that into context, imagine riding your bike from Melbourne to Cape York in less than three weeks on the road. Alternatively, how about a trip between Sydney and Kalgoorlie?

No problem, right? The climb of Galibier, an iconic Tour de France destination (AP) The race is divided into 21 stages (with two rest days), but barring a couple of time trials, none of them are short. The longest will be Stage 4, a 223.5km slog from Seraing in Belgium to Cambrais, which sits just inside its border with France. That’s about the same as Sydney to Nowra. No sweat. Cycling is a team sport? Watching a guy slog his guts out, only to peel away and to allow a “team-mate” to take the glory at the finish line, doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to those new to the sport. But it’s really no different from other team sports. Take football, for example. The individual glory might go to goalscorers, but for the rest of the team, victory is equally sweet. And sometimes the guy that doesn’t win the overall race is still a hero because of his contribution. Australian Richie Porte, for example, was instrumental in getting his team leader, Chris Froome, across the line first in 2013.

Porte was widely recognised as the guy that delivered that race to Great Britain’s Froome, and the glory to his team, Sky. Plus, you can support a team. Australia has one, called Orica GreenEDGE. The jerseys Yellow: Worn by the overall leader and winner of the Tour de France Green: Worn by the overall leader and winner of the points classification. Riders can earn points by reaching certain checkpoints within the stages first. This usually involves a quick sprint, so it’s usually the more glamorous riders who vie for the title. The finish line counts, and is also worth points, so you’ll see these guys win multiple stages during a Tour. Jersey girls (Getty Images) Polka Dot: The "king of the mountains" jersey, like the green jersey, is earned by crossing checkpoints throughout the race. The difference is these checkpoints are set at the peak of the race’s tough climbs. White: This is worn by the best young rider of the Tour. Riders under the age of 25 vie for this one. Whichever one of them finishes highest in the overall standings is declared the best young rider. The speed The average speed of a rider at the Tour de France is around 42km/h.

That’s pretty fast. During a sprint finish, riders can reach up to 70-80km/h, and in the mountains, some of the descents will push towards the 100km/h mark. Falling on a hard road at those speeds does damage to the human body, but cyclists are among some of the toughest athletes on the planet. It’s not unusual to see riders continue the race with broken bones, whether it’s a fractured wrist, broken finger, crack rib or collarbone, it takes an awful lot to keep a professional cyclist out of the saddle. Andrew Talansky takes a tumble at high speed (AP) The tactics Many compare the sport to chess on bikes. Manoeuvring is key, whether as an individual or in groups, and while most tactics are set ahead of a stage’s start, team managers watch closely from their following cars to make snap decisions on how the team should ride to achieve the best possible result. Like other professional sports, cycling teams spend big to get the balance absolutely right, particularly for the Tour de France. The value of just one single stage victory in that race is immeasurable from a revenue perspective.

Sponsors love to see their logos cross the line first, so teams make every effort to win at least one stage somewhere along the route. Teams have nine riders each. You’ll get times in the race when members of a team will “protect” their leader. Whether it’s during a windy flat stage to block the breeze, or shooting up the road to drag back a threatening breakaway by a rival team, the make-up of the team is crucial, and some teams do it better than others. The money The total prize pool for the Tour de France is around $3 million. The overall winner takes about $660,000 from the pot. The prize money is scaled down from there depending on your final position, so second place earns roughly $300,000, third grabs about $150,000, and so on. A stage win can earn you around $33, 682, but compared to other sports with huge global audiences – the Superbowl, world football, tennis – cyclists could probably argue that they’re underpaid.

Win the green jersey, and you’re about $36,500 better off, likewise for the polka dots, and the best young rider grabs $29,200, which is handy when you consider most young riders are paid around the same figure for their first professional contracts. Who’s going to win? This year’s race promises to be a classic battle, if the lead-up has been anything to go by. Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) is in prime form again, two-time champion Chris Froome (Great Britain) is peaking nicely as well. Former winner Alberto Contador (Spain) is also coming in off the back of some excellent racing, while Nairo Quintana, Colombia’s little climbing machine, can also do some serious damage. Outsiders include American Tejay Van Garderen, who is the principle man at Cadel Evans’s old team BMC, and France’s own favourite Thibaut Pinot. Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Froome (AP) What about the Aussies? An Australian victory in the overall classification is very unlikely, but there are still opportunities for stage wins and other glory for the men from Down Under.

Richie Porte will get a lot of air time as he tries again to assist a win for Froome, and the Orica GreenEDGE team, which is Australian owned, always hits the headlines for some reason. There is some Aussie glamour in Michael Matthews, who is nicknamed “Bling” for a reason, and the ever reliable Simon Gerrans could cause an upset here and there. Other Aussie hopefuls that might hit the heights here and there include Rohan Dennis, Mick Rogers and Mark Renshaw, who is one of the fastest things on two wheels, so look out for them all throughout the race. And the Aussie fans are always classy along the course. Keep an eye out for them. They're not easy to miss. Australian fans at the Tour de France (AP) How to stay across it all The Jerseys of the Tour - Tour de France 2014 The Jerseys of the Tour Homepage > The Jerseys of the Tour The Jerseys of the Tour THE TOUR DE FRANCE JERSEYS Le Tour de France 2014 extends its route for England! The iconic Tour de France race will see the French manufacturer honour the English county of Yorkshire, which will be hosting the Grand Départ in July 2014.

DESIGN The 1951 first historic flat seamed collared Yellow Jersey from le coq sportif is re-interpreted for the 2014 edition with the famous white rose of Yorkshire – a touch of originality that will unite perfectly alongside the velvety, flocked le coq sportif logo and the initials of the founder of the Tour de France, Henri Desgrange. These two uniquely French signatures are joined by an inscription on the back of the jersey, also in French, dedicated to Desgrange and stating: “En 1903, Henri Desgrange créait le plus grand évènement cycliste de tous les temps “ (In 1903, Henri Desgrange created the greatest cycling event of all time). The inside of the collar is lined with the little triangles so dear to le coq sportif’s heart and the tricolour label on the back adds the French signature finishing touch to the 2014 jersey.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY & EXPERTISE The 2014 Yellow Jersey is constructed from a mixture of high tech materials that ensure it is ultra-light and are demonstrated in aerodynamic properties such as; the front panel, the anatomical cut that fits the rider’s body perfectly, and a transparent silicone band printed with the famous le coq sportif initials with multi-triangle motif on the back of the jersey at the bottom. This season, the bands on the bottom front of the jersey and inside the sleeve-edges are made of polyurethane, ensuring they stay perfectly in place and stop any air getting in. The sleeves are cut from a single, supple and seamless piece of elastane-mix fabric to further increase rider comfort, and stop just below the triceps, avoiding all pressure points so as to improve blood flow in the arms. Additional key details include a mid-length zip to improve airflow, which is also helped by two ventilation panels in the back. A triangular one at the nape of the neck, made of ultra-breathable 3D mesh, is joined to a second micro-aerated mesh panel across the back. All these features are designed to regulate the rider’s temperature in the varied weather conditions, reducing energy expenditure.

Last but not least, the jersey boasts only flat, non-irritating seams. For this new season of sport, le coq sportif has once again combined expertise with a spirit of path-breaking innovation in its efforts to offer Tour de France champions a daring fusion of advanced technology and style. © Le Coq Sportif Green jersey The green jersey was created in 1953 for the 50th anniversary of the race. It brought a new interest to the race, the yellow jersey not being the only jersey at stake any longer. The first green jersey in history was held by Swiss Fritz Schaer. It is worn by the leader of the points classification. Points are being awarded in the intermediate sprints and the stage finishes. It has been sponsored by PMU since 1992. © Le Coq Sportif Polka-dot jersey The King of the Mountains classification was created in 1933 for the best climbers (first winner: Spain’s Vicente Trueba). But the polka-dot jersey only appeared in 1975. France’s Richard Virenque holds the record of most KOM jerseys: he won it seven times between 1994 and 2004.

The polka-dot jersey is sponsored by Carrefour. © Le Coq Sportif White jersey It was created in 1975. In 1988, the jersey was abandoned, but not the best young rider classification. The white jersey was reintroduced in the peloton in 2000. It rewards the best-placed under-25 rider in the overall standings. The jersey revealed some of the best talents in the sport – Denis Menchov in 2003, Alberto Contador in 2007, Andy Schleck from 2008 and 2010, Pierre Rolland in 2012. It has been sponsored by Skoda since 2004. Tour de France 101 – France Travel Guide in Featured Articles tagged cycling / Featured Articles / tdf-guide / tour de france So, you’re going to France in July, and you’re aware that there’s some big bike race that goes on then. But beyond that, you don’t know anything about the Tour de France . Well, pull up a chair, kiddos – this is Tour de France 101.

The truth is that while you could spend your whole life learning about the intricacies of this popular sport, there’s no need to do that. You can learn enough about the Tour de France to get into the spirit while you’re in France – and perhaps even catch a stage or two in person – without investing in a pair of spandex shorts and memorizing the history of the race. I learned to love cycling in 1996, and although I could talk about it at length for hours with anyone who might be interested (anyone? anyone?), I’ve boiled down the basics of what you’ll need to know to enjoy the spectacle and not be completely in the dark. Welcome to the Tour de France for Beginners. First, we’ll start with some cycling vocabulary so you know what I’m talking about further down this page. Then we’ll move on to the basics of the Tour de France , and the various Tour de France jerseys to look out for. And then, if you haven’t completely gone cross-eyed, there’s some Tour de France trivia at the end! Tour de France Vocabulary Even if you’re able to catch coverage of the Tour de France in your native language, some of the words you’ll hear are still going to be French.

And even some of the English words are confusing if you don’t know what they’re talking about. Here are some of the main words you might hear when you’re listening to race coverage.

allez (ah|LAY) – This French word means “GO!” and it’s what you’ll hear people yelling at the riders as they pass attack – A sudden attempt to get away from another rider, often when one rider senses another isn’t able to keep up, in an effort to drop the lesser rider bonk – Known as “hitting the wall” in marathon running, this is when a rider completely runs out of energy; often it’s actually a visible phenomenon, when it suddenly looks as if peddling the bicycle up a hill is more than the cyclist can manage breakaway – A rider or group of riders that takes off from the front of the pack bridge the gap – When a rider or group of riders is attempting to reach a group farther ahead, either a breakaway group or the main field if a rider has been dropped chasers or chase group – Riders who are attempting to “bridge the gap” to catch the lead group, also known as a “chase group” directeur sportif (spor|TEEF) – A French term, this is the manager of the team, and is akin to a coach in that he’ll dictate strategy for the team domestique (doh|mess|TEEK) – A French term,

 this is a rider who sacrifices any individual honors to the team leader who is in contention to win; these riders are hired specifically for their “work horse” ability to protect the interests of the team leader drop – To leave another rider or riders behind by attacking; dropped riders expend much more energy to catch back up to a group, and are therefore less able to counter any subsequent attacks G.C.

– Stands for “General Classification,” and is the overall standings for the race on any given day hors categorie – A French term (first word is pronounced like “oar”), this is the classification given to the most difficult mountain climbs; it’s often abbreviated as H.C.

lead out – An often sacrificial move where one rider begins a sprint to give a head start to a teammate on his rear wheel, who then comes around at an even faster speed to take the lead maillot (my|OH) – A French term, it means “jersey;” you’ll hear it when they’re talking about the leaders of the different competitions, like the “maillot jaune,” or “yellow jersey,” as the race leader pace line – A line of riders taking orderly turns at the lead and staggered so that each rider will get maximum protection from the wind peloton (PELL|uh|tahn)- A French term, this is the main group of riders, also known as the “pack,” or “bunch” or “main field” stage – An individual day’s race in a longer event which lasts over several days time trial – An individual race against the clock where riders begin at specific intervals and are attempting to ride the same course as everyone else in the shortest possible time; often called the “race of truth;” a variation sometimes seen in races like the Tour de France is the team time trial, where an entire team will race together, the clock stopping only when the 5th racer crosses the finish line

 DOWNLOAD OUR TRAVEL GUIDES Tour de France Basics Distance: Varies year to year, generally more than 3,500km (2,200mi) total Duration: Roughly 3 weeks of racing; recently it’s a 23-day event with 2 rest days (so 21 days of racing) Objective: Finish the race with the lowest accumulated time The Tour de France is a “stage race,” meaning that each day of racing is a “stage” with an individual winner but the total time raced over all the stages is what adds up to determine who the winner of the entire Tour is.

The overall winner at the very end is determined by cumulative time – each day the rider’s times are added up and at the end of the race the one who has ridden all the stages in the least amount of time is the winner. This rider doesn’t even have to have won a single stage of the race in order to win the whole thing. But some riders will never be in contention to win a Tour de France – so why do they participate? For some of them, there are competitions within the Tour that can give them a huge amount of prestige. If you think of the entire three-week race as an umbrella, you can picture several other smaller umbrellas underneath it which are the competitions within the competition, so to speak. These can be for things like the best overall young rider or the best overall mountain climber, and each individual day’s race (each stage) can be considered one of these sub-competitions, too. So while there’s only one guy standing on top of the podium in Paris, there are lots of opportunities to win things in the Tour de France – and winning anything during the Tour is a major addition to a cyclist’s resume.

What this means from a spectator’s point of view is that while it can be fun to follow the race from start to finish for the whole three weeks, you don’t need to wait that long to see someone raise a bouquet of flowers on the podium and get kissed by the pretty Podium Girls . Every day of racing ends with a podium presentation for the leaders on that day, as well as that day’s stage winner. So enjoy as much (or as little) of the Tour de France as you like. Tour de France Jerseys These are the jerseys riders in the Tour de France are trying to win. They can change hands daily, but the guy who’s wearing each jersey on the last day of the race is the overall winner of that jersey. The yellow and white jerseys are based on cumulative time, while the green and polka-dot jerseys are based on cumulative points awarded.

Maillot Jaune – Yellow Jersey, worn by the overall race leader each day Maillot Vert – Green Jersey, worn by the rider who has accumulated the most “points” each day (points are awarded at sprints, so this is generally considered the sprinter’s jersey) Maillot a Pois Rouges – Polka-Dot Jersey, worn by the rider who has performed the best over the classified climbs each day; this rider is also called the “King of the Mountains” Maillot Blanc – White Jersey, worn by the best-placed overall rider under the age of 25 each day; this is known as the “Best Young Rider” competition Tour de France Trivia & Tidbits Each day, the cyclist who’s in the lead overall and gets awarded the yellow jersey for that day also gets a lion stuffed animal as part of his prize. Why? The sponsor of the yellow jersey is the French bank, Credit Lyonnaise. Get it? Lyonnaise – lion. The rider in last place each day on the overall G.C. is called the “lanterne rouge,” or “red lantern,” referring to the old red lights which used to hang on the caboose (the last car) of trains.

There are websites dedicated to the lanterne rouge each year – not to mock them, but to point out that although they came in last, they could probably still kick most cyclists’ asses. The journalists who follow the Tour de France vote at the end of every day and award one rider the designation of “Most Aggressive Rider” – but this isn’t for someone who’s pulled on the boxing gloves. This award goes to the rider who put in the most attacks during the day, and you can pick him out because the number on his jersey the next day is red numbers on white instead of black numbers on white. Cycling fans who line the roadsides often paint messages to their favorite riders on the roads themselves (you’ll see painted roads all along the Tour route). One iconic image to look out for is the pitchfork, which is painted by Didi the Devil – he’s a big-time cycling fan from Germany who’s actually sponsored. He paints pitchforks in several places leading up to where he actually positions himself that day, and you can’t miss him. He’s the big bearded guy wearing a devil’s costume, complete with red spandex tights.

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Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Tour de France Tour de France 2016: a beginner’s guide Know your polka-dots from your pelotons, and decipher time trials and team orders with this quickfire race around the Tour’s singular wonders Friday 1 July 2016 05.00 EDT Last modified on Friday 1 July 2016 05.09 EDT Share on Messenger Close Boiled down to the bare bones, the Tour de France is a far from complex affair. An amorphous swarm of cyclists clad in garish Lycra snakes its way through the French countryside over three weeks and whoever gets to Paris in the quickest time wins. If only it were that simple, eh? Even the uninitiated will be aware that the world’s greatest bicycle race is a far more convoluted event and it behoves this primer to add some meat to those bones in a bid to enhance the viewing pleasure of such folk once the 103rd Tour sets off from Mont-Saint-Michel. Let’s start with that swarm. Known as the peloton, it will consist of 198 riders from 22 teams before the inevitable abandonments.

Much like an apian equivalent, each member has a defined role within the hierarchy. Each team has a leader, whose task is to finish as high in the overall general classification as possible. It is the job of his team‑mates to help him in this quest by providing shelter from the elements, nullifying attacks from rival riders, helping to pace him up the mountains and keeping his energy levels topped up with light refreshments from the team support car that follows the peloton and whose occupants are in constant, often unwelcome, radio contact with their riders. Tour de France 2016: our interactive stage-by-stage guide Read more Known as domestiques, these cycling dogsbodies take great pride in their ability to “bury themselves” individually for the collective and on the Sky team of this year’s defending champion, Chris Froome, they will be instantly recognisable as the black-clad automatons who alight from the team bus disparagingly known in cycling circles as the Death Star, before taking up position at the front of the peloton and slowly suffocating the life out of their rivals.

While only one rider can claim the winner’s yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, in Paris, the Tour offers many opportunities for gifted riders with less all-round ability to write their own little chapter of race history. Securing a Tour de France stage win is a career highlight for any rider and the fact that there are 21 up for grabs over all sorts of terrain means every rider will fancy their chances of securing a moment in the headlines, whatever their particular talent. Flat stages are habitually won by sprinters such as Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel or André Greipel in truly terrifying breakneck bunch finishes in which their team-mates form high-speed “trains” to deliver their man to the front of the pack with just 150m to go. Occasionally, however, the peloton will misjudge their effort to chase down the invariable “breakaway” group of lesser-known riders looking for their 15 minutes in the spotlight, allowing some no-mark to enjoy a rare triumph.

Mountain stages are obviously more suited to those climbing specialists best equipped to pedal their way up narrow Pyrenean and Alpine summits lined with Basques, drunken Dutchmen and assorted flag-toting lunatics wearing only Speedos, while this year’s Tour boasts two individual time trials for those specialists who do their best work alone against the clock. It is the all-rounder who negotiates all these stages in the quickest time who ultimately prevails overall. As well as the maillot jaune, other historically prestigious garments are available. The green jersey is worn by the leader in the points competition for best overall sprinter, while the best climber is zipped into the distinctive red and white polka dot jersey for King of the Mountains. The best rider under the age of 25 wears white, while the competitor deemed the most aggressive each day is also rewarded. Finally, named after the red lantern that used to hang from the last carriage of trains, the title of lanterne rouge for the cyclist in last place overall is symbolic but does have a certain cachet. Of course it would be a gross dereliction of journalistic duty to overlook the fact that the Tour also has a long and shameful tradition of outrageous cheating.

No Tour is complete without at least one dog on the street bringing a rider crashing to the asphalt and even these dopey rogue canines are aware that Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour wins after presiding over the most sophisticated doping regime in the sport’s history. The Tour has always been mired in skulduggery. Even early editions were plagued by scandal, with the absence of TV coverage making it reasonably easy for riders to take shortcuts or trains in a bid to “conserve energy”. Last year, just one rider tested positive for artificial stimulants, a state of affairs that suggests cyclists are finally getting the message and stopping cheating. Of course the cynical if more unpopular view is that anyone who believes that is completely delusional and some riders and their physicians have just got much better at it.

Tour de France 2014: team jerseys | Sport | The Guardian Tour de France 2014 Tour de France 2014: team jerseys There are some new sponsors and new looks in the peloton this year - here's our guide to who's wearing what Friday 27 June 2014 09.17 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 11.10 EDT Pinterest Photograph: Kramon/Ag2r-La Mondiale Already one of the most recognisable teams in the peloton, Ag2r-La Mondiale has embraced its French insurance company backer’s distinctive colours even more tightly this year, with brown sleeves in addition to the now-familiar brown shorts. The rest of the jersey is unchanged bar the replacement of the logo of former kit maker Odlo with that of new supplier Descente. Astana Pinterest Photograph: Astana/PR The Kazakh team sticks with the colours of the national flag, the only significant change for this year’s kit being the appearance of the Air Astana logo on the chest where the Expo 2017 one had appeared part way through last season.

One of the two Samruk-Kazyna logos on the sleeves has also been replaced by a Raimbek logo. It’s a shame they decided to stick with the Astana swish, because their new Continental sister team Vino 4-ever have used the same colours to create something far more elegant . Belkin Pinterest Photograph: Bas Czerwinski/EPA Belkin only had six months in green, white and black after replacing the Blanco team (who themselves replaced Rabobank) last year, so perhaps it was to be expected that they would keep their jerseys more or less the same. The only detectable change is the replacement of old bike supplier Giant with new supplier Bianchi on the thighs and chest. But while the new jerseys may not provide much to talk about, the new half-and-half Oltre XR2 bikes certainly do. The front half is in Bianchi's traditional celeste blue, while the back half is in lurid Belkin green. The clashing colours certainly catch the eye, but few would describe it as beautiful.

BMC Pinterest Photograph: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images BMC's new jersey is practically identical to last year's (and the year before's , and the year before's ), the only visible changes being a little less red on the left hand sleeve and the smoothing of a red line around the right armpit. But with so many former national and world champions in the team, perhaps the broad selection of rainbow- and other-patterned collars and sleeves provides enough diversity for the American team. Bretagne-Séché Environnement Pinterest Photograph: Equipe Bretagne-Séché Environnement Thanks to a wild card, Bretagne-Séché will be making their first ever appearance in the tour, which means a chance to look at their remarkably attractive jerseys. This year's black and white effort is a significant improvement on last year's mostly silver kit , bucking the trend towards darker colours. You'd never guess the title sponsor is a waste treatment company . Cannondale Pinterest Photograph: Sportida/REX Star rider Peter Sagan’s team’s jersey this year is almost identical to last year’s , created when they became the sole title sponsor after Liquigas withdrew.

The only difference is a Sojasun logo on the sides and breast, added in April when the soya-products company upped their sponsorship following the collapse of their own Continental team last year. It's one of the more garish jerseys around this year in a field full of black and blue. Cofidis Pinterest Photograph: Ozgur Ozdemir/Velo/Getty Images Wild cards Cofidis have changed nothing at all about their look, retaining the full red outfit with white slash. The slash is repeated on the back, making them easy to identify from aerial shots, and Estonian road race champion Rein Taaramäe gets to wear one of the most attractive national champions' jerseys. Europcar Pinterest Photograph: Serge Rogers/AFP/Getty Images Back in the UCI Pro Tour for the first time since their days under the Bbox Bouygues Telecom name, Europcar have revealed a jersey with few changes from last year’s . The fading green on the front has been replaced with a monochrome dark green, and the Europcar E has moved from the belly to the band next to the main sponsor logo.

The black side panels have been replaced by light green ones with black borders and straight lines have been added to the sleeves, creating a more minimal, attractive garment. FDJ.fr Pinterest Photograph: FDJ Over the years, Française des Jeux have switched between blue and white, sometimes, as last year, within the same season. This year, they're starting in blue. After last year's addition of the French top-level domain name , .fr, to their team name, it is emphasised with its appearance on a bright red panel on the chest and a large red square on the back, which should stand out in helicopter shots. A small image of a bleuet de France cornflower has been added to the left hand side of the chest to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the first world war, but otherwise the jersey is similar to that adopted for last year's Tour. Giant-Shimano Pinterest Photograph: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images Argos-Shimano’s beautiful retro white jerseys have gone, along with the funding from the Dutch oil company.

After a second brief spell under the name 1t4i ( which stood for “team spirit, inspiration, integrity, improvement and innovation” , bike manufacturer Giant stepped in to become title sponsor. Their jerseys are certainly distinctive, the two thick black stripes down the front and back making them look a little like an NFL umpire or Newcastle United/Juventus player. With a design unlike anything else in the peloton, it should be easy to pick out Marcel Kittel (seen here winning the People's Choice Classic) and his sprint train from helicopter shots. Garmin-Sharp Photograph: Garmin 2014 A lighter look this year, with a slightly paler blue and white bars on the chest and sides instead of black. The distinctive argyle pattern on the front has been reduced from a full panel to a single strip of diamonds. The biggest changes, though, come on the back of the jersey. Where the Cervélo é used to appear in the middle of an argyle background, this year it has been pushed on to the left shoulder. The jersey also features a large block of white on the right hand side with a red strip featuring the title sponsors' logos.

The most interesting addition, though, is a small WWF panda logo on the back. At 2013's Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Dan Martin was chased by a man in a panda suit as he sprinted to victory. Martin has been unable to shake off the association ever since, and the team now refers to the panda as its 'spiritual mascot' - one the riders will carry on their backs all year. After Martin's misfortune at this year's Liège–Bastogne–Liège , it seems not to be bringing as much luck as the team might have hoped. Katusha Photograph: Katusha Sadly, the Russian team show no signs of returning to the Moscow skyline jerseys they wore from 2007-2011, but the new jersey is an elegant upgrade on last year's . The red chests have been replaced with a white pattern featuring a repeated Ю (yu) character, which seems to have become their logo, and they have dropped the clumsy slogan "Russian global cycling project" from the jerseys completely. The national identity of the team is still emphasised, though, with bands showing the Russian flag around the waist, on the chest and on the back of the neck.

Like many other teams, Katusha have made an effort to create a distinctive design on the back of the jersey to help identify the riders from above. It's hard to know what they are trying to represent here - tyre treads, perhaps? - but the logo certainly stands out. IAM Cycling Photograph: IAM The young Swiss team make their Tour debut this year thanks to a wild card, and will wear their nationality proudly on their chest with the presence of the Swiss cross. It's another dark kit, but it's elegant and distinctive, especially given that each rider's name is printed on his back, and is a huge improvement on last year's dull outfit . With the acquisitions of aggressive riders Sylvain Chavanel (pictured) and Jérôme Pineau from OPQS, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them at the front of the peloton in the early days of the race. Lampre-Merida Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA World champion Rui Costa's new team have always taken the approach that brighter is better. This year, they keep their traditional fuchsia colour but with slightly more prominence for the lime green sections representing Merida.

The main change, though, is a switch to a much darker blue for the front and back of the jerseys. The main panels have a new, elegant, look with narrow coloured bars underlining each of the title sponsors. Costa's world champion's jersey is attractive , but loses impact thanks to the number of sponsors crammed in above the rainbow bands. Lotto-Belisol Pinterest Photograph: Lotto-Belisol A return to the white and red colours of the 2008 Silence era, but with a much cleaner retro design for its 30th year of competition - in fact, probably the most old-fashioned of its history. They have abandoned the blue and white combination and the swooping lines of recent years for classic horizontal stripes on the jersey but, strangely, retained the large-print Lotto logo on the legs. As seen on the example modelled here by Tosh van der Sande, the team has added bands with the colours of the Belgian flag to the right sleeve of the jersey and left leg of shorts in order to strengthen the national identity of a team in which 19 of 27 riders are Belgian. The distinctive off-centre stripe on the back is a nice touch and will make them easy to identify from above.

Movistar Pinterest Photograph: Mark Gunter/AFP/Getty Images Orica follow the darkening trend in the peloton, slimming down the green-and-gold band on the chest and cutting out all of the white beneath it. The new jersey is neater than the one they have worn for the last two seasons , with a smaller title logo and bands of colour that match up horizontally across the body. The collar has also turned from white to bright green. The back of the jersey follows the same pattern as the front, so the predominantly dark blue panels may be hard to pick out from above. Omega Pharma-QuickStep Pinterest Photograph: OPQS In 2012, the OPQS jersey was white and light blue with black strips down the side and black shorts. In 2013, the black spread to a line on the top half of the jersey and the sleeves. This year, OPQS have kept the basic white-blue-black colour scheme, but the black has spread even further. The chest logos are now the only area of white, and the sky blue has been reduced to trimmings and lettering. The curved lines have been replaced by straight ones to create a more aggressive look, as modelled here by Julien Vermote.

The back of each jersey will again be individualised with the Twitter handle of each rider. For the second consecutive year, the jerseys are also adorned with the rainbow badge as winner of the world team time trial championship. Team Sky Pinterest Photograph: Mark GunterAFP/Getty Images There are few changes for the British team in Rapha's second season as kit manufacturers. The jerseys will remain black with blue and white trimmings, the only significant changes being the increased prominence of the 20th Century Fox logo, which gets spots on the chest and side panels, and the addition of riders' names and national flags on the left hand sleeve. Chris Froome caused a stir when he posted a picture on Twitter of his new skinsuit at the end of last year, which leaves little to the imagination . But will Rapha have been confident enough to make a yellow version for July? Tinkoff-Saxo Pinterest Photograph:Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Having taken over from Radioshack-Nissan , Trek Factory Racing had the opportunity to come up with a completely new design.

It’s not a shock that they’ve stuck to the black, red and white of the Trek logo, but it is slightly surprising that they chose black as the main colour, which could make it hard to stand out in an already very dark peloton. The jersey is plain black for the most part, with thin white pinstripes, and the team have chosen not to follow the trend to go for an asymmetrical design on the back to help identify them in aerial shots. There is some asymmetry, though - the right sleeve is white and there is a white ring on the left hand leg. The team were planning to wear one black and one white shoe as part of the uniform, but sadly seem to have decided against it.

Question: In international tour cycling, which colour of jersey is worn by the 'Best Rider under 25'?
Answer: WHITE