Since 1919, the Tour de France general-classification leader has worn the yellow jersey.
The general classification ranks riders by their accumulated time across the stages. After each stage, the rider with the lowest total time is the leader and normally receives the yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, for the next stage. The rider wearing it after the final stage is the overall Tour winner.
The jersey was introduced during the 1919 Tour, the first edition held after World War I. Eugène Christophe became the first officially recognised wearer after the tenth stage, although he did not win the race; Firmin Lambot ultimately took the overall victory. The yellow colour is commonly linked to L’Auto, the newspaper that organised the race and was printed on yellow paper.
There is a historical wrinkle: Philippe Thys later claimed he had been given a yellow jersey in 1913. Historians cannot fully verify that account, so the accepted official starting point remains 1919. Before the jersey, early leaders could be identified by a green armband.