Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey (French: maillot jaune [majo ʒon]).

For the first two Tour de France races, the general classification standings were decided based on the lowest cumulative time.

[1] After the second Tour de France, the rules were changed, and the general classification was no longer calculated by time, but by points.

The Tour historian Jacques Augendre called Thys "a valorous rider... well-known for his intelligence" and said his claim "seems free from all suspicion".

"[5] According to the official history, the first yellow jersey was worn by the Frenchman Eugène Christophe in the stage from Grenoble to Geneva on July 19, 1919.

[7] There was no formal presentation when Christophe wore his first yellow jersey in Grenoble, from where the race left at 2 am for the 325 km to Geneva.

You already know that our director decided that the man leading the race [de tête du classement général] should wear a jersey in the colours of L'Auto.

Race leader Chris Froome wore a special yellow jersey covered in small translucent sequins into Paris as well as on the podium to allow him to be more visible under the lights.

For many years the jersey was made in only limited sizes and many riders found it a struggle to pull one on, especially when tired or wet.

The presentation jersey is now made with a full-length zip at the back and the rider pulls it on from the front, sliding his hands through the sleeves.

In American English it is sometimes referred to as the mellow johnny, a play on its French name maillot jaune, originally by Lance Armstrong, who wore it many times while riding in the 1999–2005 races.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation donated a yellow jersey from the 2002 Tour de France to the National Museum of American History.

Nicolas Frantz of Luxembourg and the Frenchmen Victor Fontan and André Leducq all rode in yellow for Stage 18.

[16] The organisers solved the problem of joint leaders by awarding the jersey to whichever rider had the best daily finishing places earlier in the race.

According to the ASO rules,[12] Multiple riders who became race leader through the misfortune of others have ridden next day without the yellow jersey.

[14] In 2007, there was neither a yellow jersey at the start of the race nor a number 1; the winner from the previous year, Floyd Landis of the United States, failed a doping control after the race, and organisers declined to declare an official winner pending arbitration of the Landis case.

In 2007, the Danish rider Michael Rasmussen was withdrawn from the race by his team after complaints that he had not made himself available for drug tests earlier in the year.

[22] Maurice Garin won the Tour de France before yellow jerseys were awarded; but in 1904, he was disqualified as winner after complaints that he and other riders cheated.

Only four other riders have worn it more than 50 days: Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin, Chris Froome and Jacques Anquetil.

Among active riders Froome is in the lead with 59, Jonas Vingegaard has 27, Tadej Pogačar 30, Julian Alaphilippe, 18 and Geraint Thomas, 15.

The greatest number of riders to wear the jersey in a single edition of Le Tour de France is eight, which happened in 1958 and 1987.

Goddet recalled: For the veteran writer and television broadcaster Jean-Paul Ollivier, the woollen yellow jersey...

[6] Such was the quantity of advertising when Bernard Thévenet accepted the yellow jersey when the Tour finished for the first time on the Champs-Élysées in 1975 that the French sports minister counted all the logos and protested to broadcasters.