Black jerseys in a heatwave – Visma-Lease a Bike defend Tour de France kit after tests on sweating mannequins

Amid multiple heatwaves across Europe, the riders of the Tour de France are taking every measure in preparing for more blistering temperatures. However, Visma-Lease a Bike – who each year have to change out their normal jerseys because of a clash with the Tour de France yellow leader’s jersey – have put the kit redesign for major contender Jonas Vingegaard and teammates into the hands of their fans.

The design chosen by the public ended up being the black version by a slim margin, even as the riders themselves preferred the lighter edition and were seen training today in their ‘rest day jersey’ in the lead-up to the opening stage in Barcelona on Saturday.

Black fabric absorbs more of the sun’s light and converts it to heat, as opposed to lighter colours that reflect more light and stay cooler, but Visma-Lease a Bike’s Head of Performance Mathieu Heijboer explained in a press release that the fabric used in the jersey will keep riders from overheating.

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“It’s not at all strange that people think a dark jersey absorbs more heat than a light one, as studies in the past have indeed shown that darker clothing can be warmer than lighter colours,” Heijboer said.

“However, the textile industry in elite sport has developed to such an extent that it has been discovered that much bigger differences can be achieved with specific fabrics. The choice of fabric has a far greater impact on heat retention than the colour.”

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Jonas Vingegaard and teammates training in the ‘rest day jersey’

Image credit: Getty Images

Jonas Vingegaard

Image credit: Getty Images

Jonas Vingegaard

Image credit: Getty Images

Although Heijboer ignores a direct comparison of the same technical fabric in light versus dark colours, he was confident the performance of the black kit would stand up to hot weather.

“We conducted multiple tests in climate chambers, where solar radiation is simulated. In these tests, we examined how quickly the temperature rises underneath a jersey. We also carried out tests using mannequins that can sweat. All results show that the choice of fabric plays a much greater role than the colour.

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“Ultimately, you want to make sure the body doesn’t heat up too quickly in the sun. It’s also about how quickly moisture is dissipated. Does the moisture stay in the jersey, or does it evaporate quickly enough? The fibres used in these jerseys are treated to be UV-resistant. That UV protection is an important factor, as it ensures that some of the light is reflected rather than absorbed.”

In a sport where marginal gains are the main focus for performance, it’s surprising that one of the sport’s top teams would let their fans choose the jersey colour over the preference of the riders, but as in past years, Visma-Lease a Bike have put their jerseys up for sale to the public. Because the voting between the light and dark designs was so close, they’ve included both in their team shop.

The theme this year was ‘the Architect’, with etchings inspired by the works and sketches of Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan designer responsible in part for the massive Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, which has been under construction since 1884.

Other teams in the Tour de France have had to change out their kits to avoid conflict with the special jerseys of the race. The Movistar Team shifted to a geometric medium blue design away from the white one that could be confused with the best young rider jersey. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe added a larger colour panel to their normal kit for the same reason.

Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello-Q36.5 team went the opposite direction, swapping out their deep blue and gold jersey for an almost white, grey and pale blue design for a ‘fresher summer-weather look and feel’.

You can see the full rundown of the special Tour de France kits here.