What is the black jersey in cycling?

The black jersey in cycling, also known as the maglia nera was awarded to the last placed rider at the Giro d'Italia grand tour. It was offered between 1946 and 1951 and was often fiercely "competed" for by seeing who could lose the most time.

In this recent era, with time cuts introduced on every stage based upon the first rider who crosses the line, it would actually be quite tricky to purposefully win the category without being cut from the race.

Similar designations exist within the other grand tours, such as the "laterne rouge" - the term given to the last placed rider in the Tour de France.