Who was the first rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France?

The first rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France was Eugène Christophe.

Christophe wore the first official maillot jaune during the 1919 Tour, the race’s return after a five-year interruption caused by the First World War. Tour organiser Henri Desgrange wanted spectators and journalists to identify the overall leader more easily in the crowded road race. Yellow was chosen partly because L’Auto, the newspaper that organised the Tour, was printed on yellow paper.

Christophe was leading the general classification, but his story became famous for more than the jersey. During the penultimate stage from Metz to Dunkirk, his fork broke. Under the rules, he had to repair it himself at a forge, losing more than two hours and the lead. Firmin Lambot ultimately won the Tour, while Christophe finished third.

The jersey is sometimes linked to earlier Tours, especially 1913 or 1914, because Belgian winner Philippe Thys later recalled possibly wearing yellow briefly. However, Christophe is recognised as the first official yellow-jersey wearer in 1919.