What every jersey color means at the Giro d’Italia 2018
By Zach Bigalke
Maglia Azzurra: The blue jersey for the King of the Mountains
When the roads pitch upward, the best climbers in the Giro d’Italia won’t be hunting for polka dots. Instead, they will be chasing the maglia azzurra, the bright blue jersey designating the King of the Mountains. A similar shade to the iconic jerseys of the Italian national soccer team, the blue jersey is actually a relatively recent adoption.
The mountains classification has been awarded since 1933, shortly after the maglia rosa first came into existence. For decades, there was no jersey to designate the King of the Mountains in the Giro d’Italia. Then, in 1974, the maglia verde (green jersey) was introduced to identify the best climber in the race.
For nearly four decades, the green jersey was an ever-present part of the podium ceremony. Then, in 2012, a sponsorship deal caused the shift in color. Ever since, blue is the new green.
The undisputed king amongst Kings of the Mountains is Gino Bartali. The three-time winner of the maglia rosa also claimed a record seven mountain titles between 1935 and 1947. The nearest person in the record books, José Manuel Fuente, won four straight between 1971 and 1974. That included the first-ever maglia verde in his final victory.
No current cyclist has won even two blue jerseys. Last year’s maglia azzurra winner, Mikel Landa, will not even be in this year’s Giro d’Italia. That leaves just two former winners on the line battling a field of fresh hopefuls for the King of the Mountains title. 2015 winner Giovanni Visconti and 2016 winner Mikel Nieve both have a legitimate chance to win a second blue jersey this year.