Only 4 cyclists have achieved 5 victories in the Tour de France

Let’s travel back in time to the early days of the Tour de France, where the overall race classification was decided based on the shortest accumulated time. In the first two editions, the winner wore a green armband, not the iconic yellow jersey we know today. Rule changes occurred after the second Tour when the classification shifted to be determined by points, remaining so until 1912 when it reverted to the time system.

The origin of the yellow jersey is shrouded in mystery. Philippe Thys, victorious in 1913, 1914, and 1920, recalled receiving a colored jersey in 1913 at the request of the organizer Henri Desgrange. However, the official version points to the first time the yellow jersey was worn on July 19, 1919, by Eugène Christophe during the stage from Grenoble to Geneva.

Christophe, although not fond of the color, found himself wearing the yellow jersey, which, according to history, was chosen to reflect the prominent role of the organizing newspaper, L’Auto. Yellow might have also been chosen because it was an unpopular color, the only one available with which a manufacturer could produce shirts in advance. Both theories were promoted, but the connection with Desgrange’s newspaper color seems to be the most plausible explanation.

The first time Christophe donned the yellow jersey had no formal presentation. Receiving it the night before, he tried it on in his hotel before embarking on the 325 km stage from Grenoble to Geneva. The yellow color then became an iconic symbol of leadership in the Tour de France, evoking stories of challenges and triumphs over the decades.

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