Why did Team ONCE wear yellow in the team time trial, when they wear pink for the rest of the tour?
When a team’s uniform includes so much yellow that it looks too similar to the maillot jaune, the yellow jersey, TdF organisers ask that the teams come to the race with a different look. ONCE’s team strip looks too similar to the wearer of the golden fleece – therefore during a normal road stage, the normally yellow and black clad men wear pink and black outfits. During the team time trial however, this rule does not apply, and ONCE reverts back to its standard team uniform. Interestingly, in 2000, their yellow and black numbers were different enough to for a change of uniform not to be warranted; instead it was Marco Pantani’s Mercatone Uno team that went from yellow to pink outfits.
