So what exactly is a road top? If any cycling enthusiast was to go for a ride on any popular cycling route in Australia on any given day and especially the weekend, they might wonder at the variety of road tops, the branding, advertising and the colours on show.

Now anybody riding a bike in Australia, or for that matter car drivers avoiding bunches, will know that Australians have a love affair with European trade tops and free advertising for corporations that sponsor professional teams. This is of course somewhat incongruous given most of these sponsoring organizations lack a presence in Australia, not to mention the propensity for riders to pay for such trade tops and offer promotion to companies that in Australia at least don’t really need it.

However, such is the attraction of celebrity and the allure of cycling fashion that every time a ‘champion’ rider changes teams, there appears to be the need to buy the latest matching clothing plastered with sponsors names. Of more concern though is the wearing by some riders of national or world champion colours with no apparent understanding of the significance of what they are wearing.

In South Australia in the ‘Tour Down Under’ and for the first time in Australia, a local rider has appeared in a professional road event in Australia, wearing the colours of a world champion.

For those attuned to cycling it can’t have escaped attention that Cadel Evans has recently become the new ‘World Road Champion’ and as such is the sole rider entitled to wear the rainbow colours of the world champion in road events. In fact as a mark of respect for being in the rainbow jersey Evans, in his own words, has been riding the ‘Tour Down Under’ in South Australia to give Australian cycling fans their first chance to see an Australian competing bearing the bands of the reining world champion. This will also be the case in all road events Cadel enters until another rider manages to relieve him of his title.

As a former world title holder Cadel will then be entitled to wear the rainbow colours on the sleeves and collar of his road top for the rest of his road-racing career.

World champions in other cycling disciplines have this honor also while national champions have the privilege of wearing their respective national colours; in their event! The wearing of such colours indicating national or world champion status, past and present, is a significant part of cycling protocol and held in great esteem in the world of competitive cycling.

It might therefore be worth considering just how many national and world champions we seem to have in Australia. Last weekend while watching the passing fashion parade on Beach Road, your trusted correspondents counted four current world champions and at least twelve current national champions. Indeed one bunch had no less than a current world champion an Australian title holder and a Norwegian national champion; quite a gathering!

Whilst we can’t be sure what all these riders have won their titles in, it seemed reasonably clear that it wasn’t in any category of competitive cycling! What this does indicate though is a lack of understanding amongst non-competitive riders about the significance of national and world colours, not to mention the lack of concern by marketers for the traditions of the sport.

This is of course hardly a revelation as since when should tradition stand in the way of an easy profit? What it also does is beg the question as to where these tops are coming from? Clearly in our brave new global shopping environment one can buy anything on the internet and become an instant cycling sensation! What is perhaps slightly disturbing, at least in Australia, is that official sponsors of the sport are engaged in producing and marketing Australian Champion tops for sale to the public.

Little wonder then that your average cycling enthusiast might have no idea about the need to protect the significance of the world or national colours. To put all of this in context, imagine the howls of outrage from cricket aficionados if genuine baggy green caps started to be sold at any sporting outlet or at local cricket matches!

So the word is to be aware of what you are wearing. Cycling etiquette is strongly on the side of not wearing a top that makes a much greater statement than merely fashion; and surprisingly that flash jersey probably won’t get you an invitation to the next professional road event!

One consideration is to support the local shops and sponsors by wearing tops made locally by people promoting Australian cycling. An even better option is to get involved with any of the local cycling clubs and wear club clothing thereby supporting both your club and local sponsors. Anyway see you on the road and go Cadel!!!

From the Pulpit