The Yellow Jersey A Standard Of Excellence

The Yellow Jersey: A Standard of Excellence

When you think of the most iconic trophies in all of sport, you may think of the Stanley Cup, or the World Cup trophy, or the Vince Lombardi trophy. However, it's hard to imagine an honor more distinctive than the Tour de France's yellow jersey.

While not exactly a trophy, the jersey is awarded to the winner of each year's Tour de France. What sets it apart from other awards involves two major differences from the rest: that it is worn by competitors, and that it is actually awarded (and re-awarded) during the competition itself, not just at the end of the competition.

One has to wonder exactly how a tradition like the awarding of the famed yellow jersey got started. If you talked to Philippe Thys, he would have told you that in 1913, Henri Desgrange (the original race organizer) asked him to wear a brightly colored jersey so observers would distinquish him from the field. Thys was not exactly into the idea of becoming a moving target for other riders, but later conceded.

However, the first official awarding of the yellow jersey wasn't until six years later, in 1919. Eugène Christophe, a French rider, was the first to wear it during the course. Supposedly the distinctive color was either decided upon because of the yellow newsprint of L'Auto, which is the newspaper that created and organized the Tour de France, or because yellow was an unpopular color choice for riders and therefore would stand out and be readily available from manufacturers. It all depends on who you'd rather believe.

Although wearing the yellow jersey today makes one the subject of admiration and praise, Christophe didn't receive that kind of reaction. Instead, he claimed that spectators would make canary noises as he rode by, as well as just generally heckling his "choice" of attire.

The yellow jersey has gone on to have a history rivaling that of the Tour de France itself. One of the more memorable yellow jersey problems has always been when more than one rider ties for the right to wear the jersey. In years past, it was decided that tie breakers would be utilized to keep from having to have more than one yellow jersey-donning rider at a time.

At times, there have also been a lack of riders wearing the yellow jersey.
Switzerland's Ferdi Kubler was the first to pass up the chance to wear the yellow jersey, doing so because the previous race leader (Fiorenze Magni) had left the race as a result of alleged threats made to him and his Italian teammates by spectators.

In 1971, the great Eddy Merckx, widely considered as perhaps the best cyclist of all time, started a tradition of sorts by declining to wear the jersey when the previous leader crashed. Luis Ocaña was in the lead when he crashed on the col de Mente, and Merckx wanted no part of the yellow jersey when he was able to take the lead as a result.

This new tradition was followed by Joop Zoetemelk, who opted out of the yellow jersey in 1980 when Bernard Hinault withdrew from a knee injury, Greg LeMond, who did the same after Denmark's Rolf Sorenson was eliminated from the race by a crash, and most recently Lance Armstrong in 2005. Armstrong wouldn't start with the yellow jersey on because the previous wearer, David Zabriskie, was taken out of the race by a crash. Armstrong later reconsidered at the urging of Tour de France organizers.

The only rider who refused the yellow jersey based upon its actual composition was Louison Bobet. Bobet, an eventual multiple time champion of the Tour de France, did not want to wear the yellow jersey because it contained synthetic fabrics. It seemed that Bobet was a wool man through and through, and he would not budge from his position. Finally, another jersey had to be rushed out (this one was pure wool) to avoid the lack of a yellow jersey wearer in the next stage.

Although the yellow jersey has evolved into one of the most recognizable honors in all of sport, it had its growing pains, probably more so than any other sports award. As you can see, the yellow jersey didn't become a prestigious symbol of accomplishment overnight!