The chemistry of the yellow jersey
Hayley Bennett tells the story of the 1948 Tour de France’s yellow jersey – and how synthetic fabrics came to dominate sportswear
The battle for the 1948 Tour de France was also a battle between natural and synthetic materials in the famous leader’s yellow jersey. Veteran Gino Bartali was happy to wear the new synthetic material, but newcomer Louison Bobet wanted pure wool. In the years since then, chemists have played a key role in clothing sportsmen and -women, from nylon and polyester to Lycra (spandex) and beyond.