From wool to lycra, the pink leader's jersey has come to symbolise Italian cycling
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The pink jersey – or maglia rosa, as it known in Italian – is the race leader's jersey at the Giro d'Italia. Since its introduction in 1931, it has become iconic, symbolising the emotions, passion and style of Italian cycling.
The current maglia rosa is made by Castelli, harking back to the 1980s, with the majority of the past 25 years having seen Santini as the supplier.
Nowadays, the jerseys are made from lightweight lycra, but in the past the jersey was made from wool or acrylic fibre, with a collar and even front facing pockets.
We've gone back through the archives to bring you a view of the pink jersey from over the years, going right back to its early years in the 1930s.
Many of these photos come from the Ghisallo Cycling museum in northern Italy, for whom Federico Meda and his father Sergio, who have both served as press officers for the Giro, worked to build a collection of authentic pink jerseys worn by riders in the race. The project saw the light of day in 2013, with more than 50 jerseys on display at the museum, overlooking Lake Como, north of Milan.
With no 2020 maglia rosa in sight until at least October, click or swipe through the gallery above for a slice of pink nostalgia.
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.