Road Bike Racing - Whats with the gold chains pros wear?!?!

usually at the end of a time trial or mountain top finish the camera will give a slow motion shot of the rider crossing the line with his jersey unzipped...and it always seems like 80% of the time they have a necklace of some sort...

i'm all for jewelry and stuff, i have an earing myself, but i don't EVER come across a male wearing a gold chain unless they are a ghetto G-Thug or their name is Guido and they are in the mafia! :) haha. i realize some of it might be superstition (oh no! if i don't wear my necklace i won't have a good ride), and i'm sure some of it is personal meaning (like a cross for God), or others i've seen have a small bicycle on them as well...and i'm probably answering my own question here :) hehe

just curious if anyone here wears one, and if anyone has noticed so many pro's wear them...

I don't, and won't wear any neckgear on a ride, and for one simple reason- it would annoy the living hell out of me. All that constant thwack-thwack against my chest, it swinging back and forth, and the chain itself rubbing on my neck!

Okay, so that isn't a simple reason, but OK.

My wife commented on the very same thing the other night! I agree, that would bother the begeesus out of me!

L8R

My guess is it's for luck. I'm sure a lot of them are religious medallions or crosses, probably those are for luck as well. Europeans aren't generally religious. Even when they cross themselves it's likely superstition. Athletes are a superstitious lot.

They're anti-gravity devices - without them they'd be as bad at climbing hills as I am ;)

Many riders for ages have worn jewlery. Especially necklaces.

It just took Mr. Ligget to mention it on TV and now everyone notices.

There're probably a lot of St. Christophers necklaces. And maybe even some St. Ghisallo's. There's probably a significant potential market for Ti or CF!

Different cultures, different tastes. It's all good.