Blazer of glory

It's nearly time for the world's best cyclists to battle for one of the most coveted pieces of clothing in sport.

The Grand Depart of the 2019 Tour de France, one of cycling's three grand tours, will take place in Belgium on July 6.

The phalanx of riders will tackle the flat, 192-kilometer opening stage of the famous race, which forms a big loop that starts and finishes in Brussels, via Charleroi.

It's the 106th edition of the Tour that will see Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas defend his 2018 title and his yellow jersey.

The yellow jersey is awarded to the rider with the lowest overall time at the end of each stage of the race, and the rider has the right to wear it for the next stage－the rider to receive the yellow jersey after the final stage in Paris is the overall winner of the Tour.

However, the first winner of the Tour de France in 1903 wore a green armband, with the first yellow jersey being worn by Frenchman Eugene Christophe on the stage from Grenoble to Geneva on July 19 in 1919－the color was chosen to reflect the yellow newsprint of the organizing newspaper, L'Auto.

To celebrate 100 years of the yellow jersey, the organizer of this year's Tour has announced that the 20 yellow jerseys that the riders will be battling for in July will each be a unique specimen, and a memorable keepsake for those that earn the right to wear them.