The Grande Boucle is back! During the month of July, from July 1st to July 23rd, sports fans will be thrilled by the Tour de France, the traditional summer event. This event, which combines cycling and heritage, is governed by very precise rules, which can sometimes seem obscure to novices. For example, do you know what the different riders' jerseys stand for, what you have to do to win them, what benefits they bring? Let's take a quick look at them, to help you follow the Tour de France 2023.
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Every day, the riders wear their own jersey, bearing the name of their team and sponsors. But some athletes wear special jerseys, recognizable by all, and highly coveted by all competitors.
These jerseys represent different victories and skills, and highlight riders who have particularly stood out on the Tour. A single player can accumulate several jerseys: in the 2021 edition, Tadej Pogacar won the yellow, white and polka-dot jerseys!
This year, Santini, official partner of the Tour, supplies the official jerseys for the competition.
The yellow jersey
It's the Holy Grail, the ultimate goal of all riders taking part in the Tour de France: at the end of each stage, the yellow jersey is awarded to the leader of the overall individual timeclassification. After the final finish on the Champs-Élysées, the yellow jersey is worn by the winner of the competition. " A symbol of excellence, prestige and victory, the Yellow Jersey only favors a complete rider, at ease on the flat, in the mountains and in time trials," explains the Tour de France website. The yellow jersey is therefore synonymous with victory!
The polka-dot jersey
This jersey isn't given to just anyone: to win it, you need endurance and exceptional physical strength! The polka-dot jersey is awarded to the leader of the best climber classification, and is therefore closely linked to mountain races. For the record, " the polka-dot jersey first appeared in 1975, also the first year of the Tour's arrival on the Champs-Élysées, a Tour won by Bernard Thévenet. It owes its color to the jersey of a rider, Henri Lemoine, who raced on the track between the '30s and '50s, and whom Félix Lévitan, co-director of the Tour with Jacques Goddet, had particularly noticed."
The green jersey
This bright green jersey is awarded to the best sprinter. More officially, it is awarded to the leader of the points classification on each stage. Points are awarded at each stage finish, and during sprints organized along the route. The jersey was created in 1953, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tour de France. " It owes its color to its first partner, La Belle Jardinière, a chain of clothing stores. It goes without saying that sprinters are the ones who usually claim this symbol of explosiveness, enthusiasm and speed. You only have to look at the identity of the winners to be convinced, notably Slovakia's Peter Sagan, who has won the green tunic 7 times ", recalls the Tour's website.
The white jersey
This jersey is dedicated to the young hopefuls of cycling, the talents who reveal themselves on the Grande Boucle. The white jersey is awarded to the rider aged 25 or under who achieves the best overall ranking in the combined time, points and mountain classification. Often, these young athletes, spotted on the Tour, go on to enjoy successful careers in cycling, racking up victories in major competitions. The jersey was first introduced in 1968, but it wasn't until 1975 that it rewarded the future and youth of the Tour de France peloton by identifying the leader of the youth classification.
The riders from the 22 teams lining up at the start of the 2023 Tour will be vying for these jerseys on every stage, hoping that their efforts will enable them to climb to the top of the podium on Sunday, July 23, after the finish on the Champs-Elysées.
Great sport awaits us again this year!
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