Maillot jaune
Maillot jaune (French for
yellow jersey) is the
t-shirt worn by the current overall time leader (lowest cumulative time for the race so far, plus any time bonuses, less any time penalties) of many bicycles races, notable the
Tour de France. The cyclist wearing the Maillot Jaune at the finish is the overall winner. The
time bonuses are awarded for finishing in the top of the stages and in certain designated
sprints within stages. The decision to designate the time leader thusly, was made by Henri Desgrange partway through the
1919 Tour de France. Yellow was the color of the paper on which
L'Auto, the chief sponsor of the event, was printed.
Since 1931, the overall leader in the Giro d'Italia is awarded the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey), also reflecting the paper color of the sports newspaper sponsoring the race.
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