Cycling’s Most Iconic
and Colorful Team Jerseys
Professional cycling is a colorful sport. A modern peloton always features a dazzling array of tones and designs among its riders, carried on the backs of team jerseys as the group snakes from one stage to the next. Jerseys are multifunctional — they are specially designed to keep the riders cool and comfortable, enhancing their performance; they can symbolize where a rider is in the race, such as the much-coveted Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France ; and, of course, they can carry sponsorship.
Sometimes the stars align, and a truly iconic team jersey emerges, transcending the world of cycling and becoming a well-known design classic. From the mid-1980s through to the 2010s, we’re going to pedal through some of the best and brightest jerseys in recent memory.
La Vie Claire (1984–1988)
Probably the most iconic of all is the La Vie Claire jersey sported by riders between 1984 and 1988, as much for the design as the team’s success during those years. Bernard Hinault claimed his fifth and final Tour de France victory in the colors, while Greg LeMond took the first of his three Tour wins riding for the outfit.
The jersey itself is a homage to Dutch abstract artist Piet Mondrian, whose bold geometric blocks of red, blue, white, yellow, and black made his name in the 1920s. The striking maillot wasn’t planned in the traditional sense — when the fledgling team’s stylist unveiled his design it was all black, like a ‘Superman suit’, according to witnesses. An art student who happened to be on the scene suggested basing the jersey on the 1930 painting ‘Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow’, quickly sketching an idea down. This was met — much to the stylist’s chagrin — with universal approval and excitement. The jersey not only looked great, but the block design was perfect for placing myriad sponsorships, including La Vie Claire, Radar and Wonder.
Mapei (1990s–2002)
The Mapei team was one of the most successful during the 1990s, and established itself in the annals of cycling history with numerous Grand Tour stage victories and triumphs in other big-league races. With legendary riders Johan Museeuw, Paolo Bettini, and Michele Bartoli leading from the front, the team developed into a truly international affair, after a merger with the Spanish CLAS - Cajastur squad saw as many as 30 riders on the road in Mapei colors.
And those colors have now gone down in peloton history, literally shining out of the riding pack. Bright, mosaic-like patterns in red, pink, green, blue, orange, and yellow dominated what is now considered one of the greatest jersey designs of all time, and is top of the list for many retro cycling fanatics. It also serves as inspiration for
custom printed sportswear which uses the best in high-performance textiles and materials.
Team Telekom/T-Mobile (1991–2007)
An instantly recognizable design classic, the Team Telekom / T-Mobile jersey was a bold pink that set it apart from others in the crowded peloton. It’s often a reference point enthusiasts use when they design their own jerseys. In its colors, German rider Jan Ullrich, aka The Kaiser, rode to victory in the 1997 Tour de France, after teammate Bjarne Riis’s Tour win the previous year (although Riis was later disqualified due to doping offenses).
Erik Zabel is another major name to have worn the pink Telekom jersey — he did so for most of his professional career. He’s considered one of the greatest German cyclists, and cycling sprinters of all time.
ONCE (1990–2003)
The ONCE team was initially sponsored by a Spanish lottery for the blind, which may explain the iconic ‘eye’ logo (a graphical representation of a man with a stick) used on the squad’s jerseys, surrounded by a bold and distinctive color scheme of yellow, black, and white. The team grew into one of the most successful of the 1990s, led by riders such as Laurent Jalabert, who twice won the points classification at the Tour de France riding for ONCE. Although he never won the Tour, he won the Vuelta a España in 1995; as well as the leader's jersey, he won the sprinter's jersey and climber's jersey in the same race — only the third rider to have done this in a Grand Tour. He’s also the last French Grand Tour winner.
Another famous racer to have turned out for ONCE, Joseba Beloki finished runner-up to Lance Armstrong in the 2002 general classification on the Tour de France. Despite Armstrong having his victories stripped from him in the wake of his doping scandal, Beloki wasn’t retroactively awarded victory. Nonetheless, he proved a successful rider in his two-year tenure for the team.
Tinkoff-Saxo (2000-2016)
Another wildly successful cycling team, the Tinkoff squad won general classifications in all three Grand Tours. In addition, the team has won many major classics, including 6 Monuments. The striking Tinkoff jersey has been described as one of the brightest ever to grace the peloton, kitted out in fluorescent ‘highlighter’ yellow and blue — a look that has inspired other team colors from the grass roots level to the professional ranks.
Notable Tinkoff riders include the great Alberto Contador, one of the most successful of his era, who won the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España in the distinctive yellow jersey. Slovak great Peter Sagan also turned out in Tinkoff colors in 2015 and 2016, bringing home numerous prestigious victories.
Mercatone Uno (1997–2003)
The story of Mercatone Uno is inextricably linked to that of Marco Pantani, the late, great, mountain specialist. The team was built around him, and he rode to the Giro / Tour double in 1998, posting almost superhuman times in the mountain stages to pull himself into contention for the general classification. In the end, Pantani managed to overhaul the early lead of Jan Ullrich to claim his only Tour victory.
The Mercatone Uno jersey is a simple yellow with blue, but given the iconic status of Pantani, it has become a favorite among retro cycling collectors.
Castorama (1990-1995)
Bedecked in one of the quirkier cycling jerseys on the list, the Castorama team took its name from the French DIY brand that sponsored it. Fittingly, the jersey was designed to look like blue and yellow workers’ overalls, and as such is one of the more memorable and striking in recent peloton history.
The team was a continuation of the Système U squad, managed by the legendary Cyrille Guimard, who had previously guided champions like Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon. Castorama’s most notable rider was Luc Leblanc, who won the 1994 World Road Race Championship while riding for the team. While Castorama never reached the dominance of Peugeot or Renault, it was well-respected for its aggressive racing style and produced some of France’s most memorable performances in the early ‘90s.
Peugeot-Michelin (1901-1986)
For our final pick, we have one of the longest-running and most successful teams in the sport’s history, with its black-and-white checkerboard jersey becoming an enduring symbol of French cycling heritage. Worn by legendary riders like Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Thévenet, it stood out in the peloton for its minimalist yet striking design.
Throughout its 85-year existence, Peugeot riders claimed Tour de France victories, Monument wins, and world championships, making this design synonymous with elite performance and success. Even after the team disbanded in 1986, the kit remains a favorite among retro cycling enthusiasts, often replicated and celebrated as one of the most iconic and stylish jerseys ever worn.
These jerseys are symbols of cycling’s greatest eras, worn by legends and etched into the sport’s history. Bold, iconic, and undeniably stylish, they have transcended the peloton to become design classics, recognized far beyond the cycling world. Whether through daring colors, unforgettable patterns, or the legendary riders who wore them, these kits remain woven into the very fabric of the sport’s heritage. Even today, the influence of these iconic designs can be seen in modern custom cycling jerseys, where classic elements are often reimagined to create unique kits for teams and individuals.
Image credits: Title image: Imago - SW Pix; Image 2: Andy.storey, CC BY-SA 4.0