Tour de Yorkshire jerseys unveiled - from Milltag, which has roots in region

The classification leaders at next month’s inaugural Tour de Yorkshire will be wearing jerseys from a firm with roots in the region – Milltag, whose designer Ed Cowburn hails from Leeds.

Perhaps best known for its quirky jerseys with strong use of graphics – limited edition tributes to Bradley Wiggins and Tom Simpson among them – three podium jerseys have been unveiled today, with a fourth following tomorrow.

The ones launched today are for the race leader, in blue with yellow accents, the king of the mountains, which is primarily magenta, and best sprinter, which is mainly green.

The company has also designed a jersey fans of the race can buy – similar to the leader’s jersey, but not quite identical, and men's and women's versions are available to buy from the Welcome to Yorkshire shop for £55.

Cowburn, who founded Milltag five years ago with business partner Pete Kelsey, said: “Being a proud Yorkshireman, it’s a dream come true that we have been able to work with ASO and Welcome to Yorkshire on these jerseys for the first ever Tour de Yorkshire.

“We are an ambitious company with a strong desire to change the perception of cycle wear as lacking in style and character, so when the opportunity came up we knew this was our chance to show exactly what we can do.

“We took inspiration from the rich heritage of Yorkshire's textile industry and used Welcome to Yorkshire’s iconic 'Y' logo to create a series of individual patterns for each of the winner's jerseys which appear on the shoulders and pockets – you could say that we've woven Yorkshire into every jersey."

ASO’s Laurent Lachaux added: “We were instantly impressed with Milltag’s design ideas and very quickly realised we had found a company with great passion for design and for cycling.

“The technical quality of the jerseys is excellent and as it is combined with a creative and fresh design we are delighted to unveil this jersey today.”

The first edition of the race takes place from 1-3 May.