The red and yellow leader's jersey is given in biathlon, cross-country skiing, cycling to athletes leading in certain types of races or stage races. Often, the owner of the yellow jersey ends up being the winner of the season.
In some singles sports in which competitions are held in several stages, selected athletes appear at the start in yellow and red jerseys. Commentators broadcasting to TV viewers often use the expression "yellow leader's jersey", "leader's red jersey".
Leader's red jersey
In cross-country skiing, a jersey of this color is worn by the leader of the overall standings of a multi-day Tour de Ski competition or other stage of a multi-day race. This helps viewers know who is currently the top contender to win.
The Olympic champion in the 50 km run Alexander Legkov won the Tour de Ski last year. This is the most honorable award for a skier, as it shows his highest class. The last race of the stage is a multi-kilometer climb uphill, when some skiers just get up, because they do not have enough breath, and their legs are "hammered".
In biathlon, a red jersey is worn by an athlete who is currently in the lead in a certain type of classification: mass start, individual race, sprint. Until recently, it was possible to observe how Russian athletes wore T-shirts of this color. Unfortunately, in the past few years, biathletes from Russia managed to take only third places in certain types of offset. But Daria Domracheva from Belarus often pleases, successfully competing with Tura Berger and Kaisa Mäkkäräinen.
In cycling, the winner of the mountain stage in the Vuelta is entitled to wear a red jersey. This mountain stage is divided into four categories. Not all cyclists complete the stage, as there is simply not enough physical strength to overcome many kilometers of mountain ascents.
Leader's yellow jersey
Biathlon, cross-country skiing, cycling are held throughout the season. When an athlete takes a certain place at the end of each race, points are credited to him. The overall leader has the right to wear a yellow jersey so that both spectators and other athletes can understand who is currently claiming the title of champion of the year. But this applies to biathlon and cross-country skiing.
Cycling is a little more difficult. The leader is given a gold jersey, often referred to as yellow by commentators. The real yellow jersey is given to the leader of the Tour de France stage. This race for some cyclists is the most important competition in their life. The yellow jersey is the most expensive jersey in existence.
