Cycling's National Champions jerseys.

I finally sat down to write a post I started thinking about this time last year.

The design of National Champions jerseys.

I have my images and quote from the UCI rulebook and figure I'll start typing and see if I can formulate my thoughts as I go.  Just one more Google search then I'll start.....damn.  One search too many.   "Inrng: The Inner Ring" posted a great article on this very subject on the 18th and talks pretty much about the same stuff.

I was just going to note how some National Champions basically wear the flag and sometimes it works, Sweden and Belgium for example, and sometimes it doesn't, the USA and Brazil.  Of course that's all a matter of aesthetic and maybe patriotic taste.

So here are a few photos, maybe some comments and the UCI rules.

Other than that please do go visit the Inner Ring to read my mind.

 Australia

 Brazil

 Great Britain

France

Belgium

The five above show the 'traditional' designs used by the respective nations for years.  Well the Brazilian jersey seems to have looked like that for ages even though it looks pretty modern.  The British, French and Belgian, amongst others,  have used their flags simply since their introduction and haven't changed much since the days of Poulidor.

Ireland

 Italy

 Japan

 Luxembourg

 Norway

 Slovakia

 Spain

 Switzerland

USA

This year's more modern take is to reduce the flag to a small patch on the front of the corporate jersey, as if it's another sponsor.  And in some cases blend it in a bit too well, Luxembourg and Japan anyone?  

Even though there are guidelines laid down by the UCI for the positioning and sizes of the sponsors graphics the governing bodies of each nation are supposedly responsible for the 'flag' use.  When you look at the similarities in the designs though, for example USA and Slovenia, it looks as if there is one person in a small dark room with a cookie cutter working across borders and brands.

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