Categories: EtiquetteFolkloreIn MemoriamKitNostalgiaTradition

In Memoriam: The Tricolore

It was a simple time. Team kit was understated, with black shorts and a few colored panels on the jersey. Race Leader and National Championship jerseys were plain, and often even lacking in the name of the sponsor. National Championship jerseys in particular were a matter of national pride more than sponsorship; it was an honor to fly the colors of your country in a jersey that payed homage not to the team’s branding, but to that of the nation’s flag. The jersey was worn with standard team kit, often in garish contrast to the colors of the sponsor. It was gloriously Casually Deliberate.

Then, as more money came to be at stake and the sponsors became ever more loosely tied to Cycling’s history, it started to change. First with the shorts, which were modified to match the jersey, either with different accent colors or with an entirely matched design. Then teams started discouraging their riders from winning national championships and, if left no choice in the matter, they chose a design which matched the standard team kit design as closely as possible in order to maximize sponsorship investment.

The first time I noticed this trend was an account from Roger Hammond, the reigning British Road Champion, who had just signed with Discovery Channel. It was a matter of pride for him, of course, to wear the jersey but his new sponsor was not so keen and certainly held no special respect for the history of his jersey. After all, a national championship jersey has very little room on it for Discovery’s branding, and that meant a smaller return on their investment in the rider as a billboard. If I remember correctly, he was strongly discouraged – if not barred – from entering the race.

The Tricolore jersey is my favorite of any jersey available. If I were a Pro, I would carry a Dutch and not American license for no other reason than for the chance to race in the red, white, and blue stripes of the Dutch flag as opposed to the vertical stripes and star-spangled design of the American flag (however cool that jersey is as well).

To declare this In Memoriam is perhaps premature, but we are moving inexorably away from this glorious jumper; shorts are too often matched, bicycles too often repainted. I have nothing against maximizing a sponsor’s investment, but I worry over the consequences. I worry for the loss of standard team shorts, standard team kit, and the tricolore jersey. Will all teams follow Team Radiosanschelck?

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

monty says:

Mar 26 2012 at 8:13 pm

@scaler911
We do indeed need to return to these days. I'd wager the image was actually taken using a Hasselblad. Understated wool jerseys, steel frames, medium-format analogue photography. Everything that came after was 'progress'? I don't think so. Except for the removal of breast-pockets. That was DEFINATELY a good thing.
Jeff in PetroMetro says:

Mar 26 2012 at 8:14 pm

@pakrat

@Jeff in PetroMetro

BTW, did anyone else catch the bitchin' board on top of the car in the background? There's a fan with the right priorities.

Gonna have to disagree with this one. Whilst the owner IS at the proper event, that board ain't so bitchin'. Windsurfers are to surfboards as recumbents are to road bikes.
And don't get me started on this paddle board phenomena.

But, but, but...

He's probably in the Alps. So windsurfing is as close to awesomeness as he could get that day. You know. TdF. Then windsurfing. I know windsurfing is to surfing as tri is to cycling, but...
Oli says:

Mar 26 2012 at 8:22 pm

@jimmy
I would point out that the yellow jersey isn't a national champion's jersey. Not sure why that even matters, but hey...
RedRanger says:

Mar 26 2012 at 8:29 pm

@Marko

Fuch - I'm trying to start a Kit-coup as Frank and Gianni are somewhere over the North Atlantic and Brett is probably in the middle of some crazy layover in North Africa or something and I can't even post in the right place. Again:

Alright then peeps - I've started working on the other Keepers about the next V-kit iteration being something of a throw-back design. Not necessarily wool - modern materials, same as we're doing - but a throwback/tricolore pattern. The witte kit is a step in that direction from swarte but it could go much further. Who's with me?

TRi color orange, black,grey. Verticals, orange on top and grey at the bottom?
jimmy says:

Mar 26 2012 at 9:13 pm

@Oli
Pretty clear on that. The article opened with Leader and National Champ jerseys. You of course are in a prime place to criticize, you get Black for NZ Champs and we end up with this:
jimmy says:

Mar 26 2012 at 9:19 pm

@RedRanger

@Marko

Fuch - I'm trying to start a Kit-coup as Frank and Gianni are somewhere over the North Atlantic and Brett is probably in the middle of some crazy layover in North Africa or something and I can't even post in the right place. Again:

Alright then peeps - I've started working on the other Keepers about the next V-kit iteration being something of a throw-back design. Not necessarily wool - modern materials, same as we're doing - but a throwback/tricolore pattern. The witte kit is a step in that direction from swarte but it could go much further. Who's with me?

TRi color orange, black,grey. Verticals, orange on top and grey at the bottom?

All the V a Dutch Monkey needs:
Oli says:

Mar 26 2012 at 9:32 pm

@jimmy
Ah, yes. Sorry about that, Chief.
Bill says:

Mar 27 2012 at 12:21 am

All these retro jerseys are getting me to thinking I'll dig out my La Vie Claire and 7-11 jerseys for the Tour.
Matt Carey says:

Mar 27 2012 at 1:49 am

Say what you want about Team Sky, but they have always honoured the national jersey. National colours + black shorts = correct. Now with Cav's rainbow jersey they are following the same pattern. The black shorts are key.
marko says:

Mar 27 2012 at 5:07 am

@Bill
I just picked up a Z jersey. It's very cool. I'll add a 7-Eleven to it one day.