Originally Posted by
Boyd Reynolds
I'm a new fan of pro cycling and I keep wondering about the logistics of putting on a big race.
For example, in the TDF, does the rider in yellow get a new jersey every day? Are the sponsor logos sewn on or are they printed that way? Some guys are big and some are small, is there a big box of yellow (and green, white, and dotted) in different sizes ready for them?
Some riders have complete kits to match the jersey they earned, does the team plan for this by ordering shorts, helmets, and glasses for riders they think might be in yellow, green, etc.?
Was there a time when there was only one yellow that was laundered and passed from one guy to the next throughout the race? If so, when did this stop?
Also, what happens at a smaller race? There is money to spare for clothes at a TDF, but maybe not so much in other stage races. What do they do about stuff like this?
Silly trivia, I know, but I just keep wondering as I'm watching.
Thanks!
There's a Nike employee in a van that travels with the tour and makes the jerseys at the end of every stage like Zorro said. The jerseys are made with space to imprint the logos and guy has the stickers and machine in his van to produce them rapidly. The rest of the stuff (bibs, glasses, helmets, frames, whatever else) are carried by the huge logistics convoy that follows the tour anywhere it goes