It is a striking observation. Unlike other national sports teams, the Belgian cycling selection does not dress in red. This means that the national cycling team cannot place itself in the same league as the Red Devils/Red Flames (football), the Red Lions/Red Panthers (hockey) or the Belgian Lions/ Belgian Cats (basketball). Because of the blue main colour, Van Aert and co. cannot connect to derivatives such as the Yellow Tigers (volleyball) or the Black Devils (rugby) who allude to the national tricolour. Until 1946, there was a link. The Belgian team competed in the World Championships in black, and then in 1948 they switched to a blue jersey. This change is rooted in the Belgian Tour adventures before and shortly after the Second World War.
After racing in white for one year, the Belgian team appeared for the first time in blue at the start of a World Championship in 1948. Over the years, the national jersey has changed design several times.