The leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia is pink. Known as the maglia rosa, it identifies the rider with the lowest cumulative time in the general classification.
The Giro introduced its distinctive pink jersey in 1931. The color was chosen because La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian newspaper that founded the race, was printed on pink paper. This links the race’s most recognizable symbol directly to its media origins.
Pink is specific to the overall leader; other Giro classifications use different colors. The points classification traditionally uses a cyclamen jersey, while the mountains classification uses green. These colors can change over time, so they should not be confused with the permanent association between pink and the general classification.
The Tour de France uses yellow for its overall leader, and the Vuelta a España has used several colors, including red. Thus, pink is the canonical answer for the Giro’s race leader.