In recent years, Grand Tour kit swaps have become fashionable, with three special edition jerseys on display in the peloton at this year's Vuelta a España.

The most striking is Movistar's, designed in homage to Alejandro Valverde and featuring white for the first time in its long history.

Valverde, a 42-year-old Spaniard, joined the team in 2005, and after winning over 100 races, he rode his last Vuelta in his last season as a professional.

The new jersey pays tribute to his career, with his greatest accomplishments listed on the front and back. The navy blue base has been replaced by white, with the name of the race he won written on a line that intersects the sky blue.

Valverde won the world road race title in Innsbruck in 2018, after years of close calls, finishing with silver and bronze medals. The title is so important that it appears twice on the jersey, once on the left chase and once under Valverde's signature at the top of the back.

"Valverde is one of the most versatile and most charismatic riders our country has ever known.

The accomplishments listed on the jersey were made after his two-year doping bans in 2010 and 2011.

The description on the jersey

The Astana Kazakstan team is also white.

The Kazakhstan team is less boisterous than Movistar, with no announcement or explanation of the new design.

The kit retains the diamond pattern of the standard 2021 jerseys, but ditches the previous light blue. The jersey is white at the chest and shoulders, and its diamonds have faded down from bluish gray to a darker shade to match the shorts.

Like Astana, the new colors of the Arkea Samsic arrived with little fanfare and little explanation, although it seems that the color clash with the red leader jersey of the race was necessary.

That of Movistar and Astana may clash with the new white jerseys for the best young riders, but the Grand Tour protects the leader jersey brand, and the Tour de France's Jumbo-Visma and Giro d'Italia's EF Education-Easy Post have forced various teams to change their designs.

Arkea Samsic, making its first appearance in the Vuelta, chose the fluorescent yellow color because the standard red jersey clashes with the straight.

The jersey was modeled by Nairo Quintana in an official pre-race photoshoot, but a few hours later he pulled out of the race after reportedly testing positive for tramadol at the Tour de France. The French team was unable to replace him, and only seven riders wore this jersey in the Vuelta.