Something I have always wanted to know

[craig1985]

You know how at GT when a rider takes a stage win and if he collects the Yellow Jersey, or if he is take over the lead in the Points or KOM or Best Young Rider Classification, he turns up the next day with matching helmet, shorts, bike, sunglasses etc. and as stupid as this may sound, do the teams carry matching helmets etc. for one of their riders to use the next day or is it something the sponsors have and give it to the team? I guess turning up with yellow handle bar tape is not that hard or with a yellow bike as the mechanics could strip the bike down, tape up the holes and any logos and spray the bike yellow (or maybe it is done a different way).

Again it probably seems silly, but I have always wondered how I rider the next day can turn up with a yellow helmet or yellow Oakley sunnies etc.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

In I think the early 1990's when ABC was covering the Tour they did a thing on that, showing the many different sized jerseys and all ready to go, and how they silk screened or pressed new logos every night right after the stage. I think I'm remembering this correctly.

 

[Stani Kléber]

Today ASO carries hundreds of jerseys for the race, each leaders jersey comes in the colours of each team, in all the sizes and also in two types of material. There's a whole truck for this.

As for the teams, they bring their own matching shorts, bikes, wheels and more, with sponsors like helmet manufacturers or sunglasses supplying their parts. The Tour is a giant consumer festival and they don't want to miss their chance to get images of their products in the media so you can be influenced by the imagery.

 

[BroDeal]

Today ASO carries hundreds of jerseys for the race, each leaders jersey comes in the colours of each team, in all the sizes and also in two types of material. There's a whole truck for this.

I thought they were using sublimation tech to print the jerseys on demand. A few years ago they were using something that looked like ironed on panels .

 

[Stani Kléber]

In fact you're right... and so am I. Last year they did use printing but in previous years they came with ready-made jerseys.

 

[msjett]

I did think it was a lot of expense to go to if your rider didn't take the lead in one of the catogories.

 

[ElChingon]

I always thought they had their own sweat shop of people doing the custom jersey's well whole kits and even skinsuits for the TT's. I mean sublimation takes you so far but who's putting it altogether, certainly not all premade, especiallyif the shortest or tallest rider take a jersey along the way.

 

[ak-zaaf]

i'm still waiting for the first gc-leader to wear yellow contacts.

 

[sherer]

i always wondered if any riders were superstitious and banned their teams from making yellow \ pink shorts in advance.

I also wondered if any riders preferred the Nike \ Santini \ SMS jerseys to their own team kit

 

[53x11 in DC]

i'm still waiting for the first gc-leader to wear yellow contacts.

Body paint.

 

[Snake8]

Ok. So they have all these shirts...when they put the jerseys on they zip in the back right? Usually long sleeve. Do they get another race jersey? How many yellow jerseys do they get to keep?

 

[craig1985]

Ok. So they have all these shirts...when they put the jerseys on they zip in the back right? Usually long sleeve. Do they get another race jersey? How many yellow jerseys do they get to keep?

The one they put on the podium is just a ceremonial jersey to make it easier for the podium girls to put it on the rider and zip it up so no time is wasted (it is one size fits all), whilst the next day they have a proper yellow jersey to race in. Each yellow jersyey as far as I'm aware they keep and if they get more then one then I would imagine would be given to the main sponsor of the team as a gift (I guess as a thanks for sponsoring the team).

 

[sherer]

as far as I know they get a podium jersey after the stage, then the next day they also get the stage jersey with a zip at the front as normal.

They also have to sign about 10 of the plain yellow jerseys for the ASO.

Plus they get the lion teddy bear too

 

[neil69cyclist]

I heard it's all MAGIC and they have mystical elves jacked up on EPO, blood doping and drinking 'bombs' (old fashioned doping, coke, coffee and amphetamines) working through the night spinning it out of thread made from the last remnants of the credibility of the UCI & ASO

 

[Sheltowee]

I would prefer that the rider in whatever jersey would continue to wear his team shorts and team colored bike, for me it's easier to follow on TV. I think Contador looked particularly silly all duded out on a pink bike in 2008 at the Giro--looked like an advertisemnet for Baskin-Robins. Floyd looked stupid in all that yellow crap in 2006--and looked the clown with his cap reversed in the podium. Oh, yeah, Floyd was making his rebel statement. But then it could have been roid rage, I suppose.

 

[BroDeal]

I would prefer that the rider in whatever jersey would continue to wear his team shorts and team colored bike, for me it's easier to follow on TV. I think Contador looked particularly silly all duded out on a pink bike in 2008 at the Giro--looked like an advertisemnet for Baskin-Robins. Floyd looked stupid in all that yellow crap in 2006--and looked the clown with his cap reversed in the podium. Oh, yeah, Floyd was making his rebel statement. But then it could have been roid rage, I suppose.

LOL.

FLandis' backwards hat was okay. It was his hideous sunglasses that were the problem. He looked like Kid Rock.

 

[Bala Verde]

(it is one size fits all)

I wonder how that would work out for Ardilla and Voigt, where the former would look like the last potato in a jute bag and the latter does an imitation of the hulk (especially when he gets the maillot vert)

I think I once saw a picture of the two swapping bikes, I don't know if anyone else has seen it/knows where it is, because it was hilarious. Voigt with his knees against his ears while Ardilla could barely sit on the top tube.

 

[analo69]

A bit off topic.

I have allways wanted a superbowl-winner cap of the losing team. What do they do with those after the superbowl. Guess they throw them away. But it could be funny to own one. Much like a yellow Skil-Shimano jersey or something like that.