 | |
| Sport | Road bicycle racing |
|---|---|
| Competition | Tour de France |
| Awarded for | Best climber |
| Local name | Maillot à pois rouges (French) |
| History | |
| First award | 1933 (jersey since1975) |
| Editions | 86 (as of2025) |
| First winner |  Vicente Trueba (ESP) |
| Most wins |  Richard Virenque (FRA)
|
| Most recent |  Tadej Pogačar (SVN) |
Themountains classification is a secondary competition in theTour de France, that started in1933. It is given to the rider that gains the most points for reaching mountain summits first. The leader of the classification is named theKing of the Mountains, and since1975 wears thepolka dot jersey (French:maillot à pois rouges), a white jersey with redpolka dots.
The first Tour de France crossed no mountain passes, but several lessercols. The first was the col des Echarmeaux (712 m (2,336 ft)), on the opening stage from Paris to Lyon, on what is now the old road from Autun to Lyon. The stage from Lyon to Marseille included thecol de la République (1,161 m (3,809 ft)), also known as the col du Grand Bois, at the edge of St-Etienne. The first major climb—theBallon d'Alsace (1,178 m (3,865 ft)) in theVosges[1] — was featured in the 1905 race.
True mountains were not included until thePyrenees in1910. In that year the race rode, or more walked[citation needed], first thecol d'Aubisque and then the nearbyTourmalet. Both climbs were mule tracks, a demanding challenge on heavy, ungeared bikes ridden by men with spare tires around their shoulders and their food, clothing and tools in bags hung from their handlebars. The assistant organiser, Victor Breyer, stood at the summit of the Aubisque with the colleague who had proposed including the Pyrenees,Alphonse Steinès.[2] The tour organiser,Henri Desgrange was confident enough after the Pyrenees to include theAlps in 1911.[3]
The highest climb in the race was theCime de la Bonette-Restefond in the1962 Tour de France, reaching 2802 m.[4] The highest mountain finish in the Tour was at theCol du Galibier in the2011 edition.[5]
Since 1905, the organising newspaperl'Auto named one cyclist of the Tour de France themeilleur grimpeur (best climber).[6] In 1933,Vicente Trueba was the winner of this classification. In order to recognize climbers, the Tour de France director,Henri Desgrange, decided that cyclists should receive a bonus for reaching the tops first. From 1934 on, the gap between the first and the second cyclist to reach the top was given as a time bonus to the one reaching the top first. These time bonuses were later removed, but the King of the Mountain recognition remained.[7] Although the best climber was first recognised in 1933, the distinctive jersey was not introduced until 1975, as the sponsor,Chocolat Poulain, wanted to enhance the visibility of the jersey in the peloton.[8] The Tour's organizerFélix Lévitan decided to use the jersey used by the cyclistHenri Lemoine as a tribute to him. As a consequence, the sponsor,Chocolat Poulain, decided to change its wrappings of chocolate bars and covered them in a polka dot wrapper.[9]
The first rider to ever wear the Polka Dot Jersey, during the1975 Tour de France, wasJoop Zoetemelk, and while he never won the King of the Mountains competition in the Tour De France he is considered to be one of the greatest climbers in Tour de France history.[citation needed] Zoetemelk did win the mountains classification in the1971 Vuelta a España, as well as the general classification in the1979 Vuelta a España and the1980 Tour de France.
The polka dots originate from sponsorChocolat Poulain. Between 1993 and 2018, the jersey was sponsored byCarrefour supermarkets, initially under theChampion brand, and later under the main Carrefour brand from the 2009 edition of the Tour.[10] Since 2019, the jersey is sponsored byE.Leclerc supermarkets.[11]
The polka dot jersey is the third most important jersey in the Tour de France, third to yellow and green jerseys.[12][13] If a rider is the leader in the general and/or points classifications and in the mountain classification he will wear the yellow or green jersey. The second rider (or the following eligible rider) in the mountain classification will wear polka dot jersey with some exceptions:
In both case the third rider (or the following eligible rider) will be in polka dot jersey.
At the top of many climbs in the Tour, there are points for the riders who are first over the top. The climbs are divided into categories from 1 (very difficult mountains) to 4 (least difficult hills) based on their difficulty, measured as a function of their steepness, length, location within the stage (near the start or end), and location in the overall race (early in the race or toward the end). A few of the toughest mountain climbs were originally given different individual points scales, and were thus listed as "beyond categorisation" (Hors catégorie, a term that has since passed into the French language to refer to any exceptional phenomenon); however, since the 1980s, thehors catégorie climbs have been merged into the single scale and have effectively become, despite the name, just a top category above category 1. In 2004, the scoring system was changed such that the first rider over a fourth category climb would be awarded 3 points while the first to complete ahors catégorie climb would be awarded 20 points. Further points over a fourth category climb are only for the top three places while on ahors catégorie climb the top ten riders are rewarded. From 2004 to 2021, points scored on the final climb of the day were doubled where that climb was at least a second category climb.[17] In 2022 and 2023, mountain-top finishes were worth the same number of points as any other climb.[18]
The points gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to the following classification:
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If two riders have an equal number of points, the rider with the most first places on thehors catégorie cols, is declared winner. If the riders arrived first an equal number of times, the first places on the 1st category cols are compared. Should the two riders again have an equal number of first arrivals in this category, the organization looks at mutual results in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th category, until a winner is found. If the number of first arrivals in all categories is equal for both riders, the rider with the highest position in the overall list of rankings receives the mountain jersey.
During the 2000s, the Tour de France organization decided to double the points awarded at the top of certain ascents:
For 2020, "Double points will be awarded at the top of passes or at the finish of stage 17 at Méribel Col de la Loze, the highest peak in the 2020 Tour (2,304 masl)".[19] The organisation of the race determines which mountains are included for the mountains classification and in which category they are
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2016 | HC[a] | 25 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||||
| HC[b] | 20 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 1C | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2C | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 3C | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 4C | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 2004–2010[20][21] | HC | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | |||||
| 1C | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2C | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 3C | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4C | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1984–2003[22][23] | HC | 40 | 35 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1C | 30 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2C | 20 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 3C[c] | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 3C[d] | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 3C[e] | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 4C[f] | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 4C[g] | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1979–1983[24][25] | HC | 25 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1C | 20 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2C | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 3C[h] | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 3C[i] | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 4C[j] | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 4C[k] | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1975–1978[26][27] | 1C | 20 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2C | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 3C | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 4C | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1971–1974[28][29] | 1C | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 2C | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||
| 3C | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 4C | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1962–1970 | 1C | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 2C | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| 3C | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 4C[l] | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1949–1961 | 1C | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 2C | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 3C | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1947–1948 | A | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| B | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1933–1939 | - | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
The system has faced criticism. Six-time winnerLucien Van Impe said in 2010 that the mountain jersey has been devalued, because it goes to cyclists who have no hope of winning the general classification and are therefore allowed to escape and gather points in breakaways by the general classification contenders. According to Van Impe, focusing on the mountain classification was started by cyclists such asLaurent Jalabert andRichard Virenque, but compared to modern mountain classification specialists, "they could really climb, and they could win sprints on hors category climbs or even win the stage".[30] However, in 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025, the mountain classification winner also won the general classification.
This list shows the cyclists who were chosenmeilleur grimpeur by the newspaperL'Auto. AlthoughL'Auto was organising the Tour de France, themeilleur grimpeur title was not given by the tour organisation, so it is unofficial. However, it is a direct predecessor of the later King of the Mountains title.[31][32]
| Rank | Country | Wins | Riders winning most | Most recent winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 23 | Richard Virenque (7) | Romain Bardet (2019) |
| 2 |  Spain | 18 | Federico Bahamontes (6) | Samuel Sánchez (2011) |
| 3 |  Italy | 13 | Gino Bartali,Fausto Coppi,Imerio Massignan,Claudio Chiappucci (2 each) | Giulio Ciccone (2023) |
| 4 |  Belgium | 11 | Lucien Van Impe (6) | Lucien Van Impe (1983) |
| 5 |  Colombia | 5 | Luis Herrera (2) | Nairo Quintana (2013) |
| 6 |  Denmark | 3 | Michael Rasmussen (2) | Jonas Vingegaard (2022) |
| Slovenia | Tadej Pogačar (3) | Tadej Pogačar (2025) | ||
| 8 |  Luxembourg | 2 | Charly Gaul (2) | Charly Gaul (1956) |
 Netherlands | Steven Rooks,Gert-Jan Theunisse | Gert-Jan Theunisse (1989) | ||
 United Kingdom | Robert Millar,Chris Froome | Chris Froome (2015) | ||
 Poland | Rafał Majka (2) | Rafał Majka (2016) | ||
| 12 |  Switzerland | 1 | Tony Rominger | Tony Rominger (1993) |
 Ecuador | Richard Carapaz | Richard Carapaz (2024) |
Some cyclists have won both thegeneral classification and the mountains classification in the same year.In the early years of the Tour, only the highest mountains gave points. Cyclists aiming for the Tour win generally did well on those mountains, so the riders high in the general classification were typically also high in the mountains classification, which made the double more likely. Later, the rules of the mountains classification changed, giving more points to mountains of lower category. The cyclists aiming to win the general classification did not spend energy on those lower category mountains, and thus other cyclists could aim for the mountains classification win. In 1969, Eddy Merckx won not only the general classification and the mountains classification, but also thepoints classification.
The general classification and the mountain classification were won by the same rider thirteen times, by eight different cyclists:
after the end of2025 Tour de France
The classification existed since1933. The polka dot jersey was issued since the1975.
| Rider | Days | Stages |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Virenque | 96 | 96 |
| Lucien Van Impe | 81 | 94 |
| Federico Bahamontes | 74 | 77 |
| Julio Jimenez | 40 | 43 |
| Eddy Merckx | 36 | 40 |
| Félicien Vervaecke | 33 | 48 |
| Michael Rasmussen | 27 | 27 |
| Domingo Perurena | 26 | 30 |
| Claudio Chiappucci | 26 | 27 |
| Tadej Pogačar | 26 | 26 |
| Gino Bartali | 25 | 30 |
| Luis Herrera | 25 | 26 |
| Fausto Coppi | 24 | 24 |
| Bernard Hinault | 22 | 23 |
| Bernard Vallet | 20 | 21 |
| Vicente Trueba | 20 | 20 |
| Charly Gaul | 20 | 20 |
In some editions the Mountain Classification, without a distinctive jersey, was not compiled in the first stages (no points awarded in the first stages). Some riders led all the stages after the first points were awarded:
Vicente Trueba1933 (first stage awarding points: 4th stage)Félicien Vervaecke1935 (first stage awarding points: 4th stage)Gino Bartali1938 (first stage awarding points: 8th stage)Fausto Coppi1949 (first stage awarding points: 11th stage)Federico Bahamontes1954 (first stage awarding points: 11th stage)Federico Bahamontes1958 (first stage awarding points: 13th stage)Federico Bahamontes1963 (first stage awarding points: 10th stage)No riders wore the jersey in all stages of a single edition.Lucien Van Impe in1977 wore it in most stages in a single edition: 25 of the 28 stages (but the jersey was not issued in the prologue).Bernard Vallet in1982 lead the classification in all 21 numbered stages but not after the prologue.
There is an established order of priority for the different leaders' jerseys: the yellow jersey, followed by the green jersey, then the red polka-dot jersey and finally the white jersey
2.6.018 - [...] If a rider is leading more than one classification, the order of priority of the distinctive jerseys shall be as follows: 1. general classification by time; 2. general classification by points; 3. general climber's classification; 4. others (young rider, combined, etc.); the order of priority among these other jerseys shall be set by the organiser.
When a rider is leading several classifications, he naturally only wears one jersey: the one designated by the order of priority. The other jerseys are then worn by the riders lying 2nd, 3rd or 4th in the corresponding classification
However, if this rider is required to wear his world, continental or national champion's jersey, then he will wear this jersey
2.6.018 - [...] In this situation, the organiser may require another rider next on the relevant classification to wear a jersey which is not being worn by the leader of that classification. However, if this rider must wear his world or national champion's jersey, or the leader's jersey of a UCI cup, circuit, series or classification, he shall wear that jersey.
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Media related toMountains classification in the Tour de France at Wikimedia Commons
