What every jersey color means at the Giro d’Italia 2018
By Zach Bigalke
Maglia Bianca: The white jersey of the best young rider classification
The white jersey is a direct equivalent to the white jersey at the Tour de France, the only one of the four main classifications in which that is the case. Awarded to the best young rider age 25 or younger, the maglia bianca has had an on-again, off-again existence at the Giro d’Italia.
The young rider classification was originally instituted in 1976 and remained one of the competitions within the grand tour for the next decade and a half. After the 1994 Giro d’Italia, though, the best young rider was no longer awarded. It fell out of existence for over a decade, until it reappeared on the 2007 program.
Five winners of the best young rider competition have gone on to win the general classification in the Giro d’Italia. 1978’s best young rider Roberto Visentini went on to win the 1986 Giro. Franco Chioccioli claimed the 1983 white jersey and then the maglia rosa in 1991. Pavel Tonkov won the best young rider twice, in 1991 and 1992, and then went on to win the overall in 1996.
Tonkov’s compatriot, Evgeni Berzin, did one better. In 1993, Berzin won the entire race as a 23-year-old competing in the Giro for just his second time. That win also claimed him the white jersey for the trophy case. In 2014, Nairo Quintana replicated Berzin’s feat by winning both the pink and white jerseys as a 24-year-old rider in his first-ever Giro d’Italia.
Who might emerge this year as the best young rider? Two-time defending champion Bob Jungels is still just 25, but he is not on the list of starters this year for the Giro. A new star will emerge in 2018.
Next: Giro 2018: Everything you need to know about the route
Stay tuned for more cycling coverage this spring as we keep you updated with all the latest from the Giro d’Italia here at FanSided.