Maillot à Pois Rouges

Lore & Background

The mountains classification was born in 1933, when the Tour's organizers recognized that the race was not only about speed on the flat but about the sheer, grinding effort of climbing. In its earliest years, the leader of the category wore a simple yellow scarf draped over the shoulders — a modest distinction that did little to capture the drama of the ascents it represented. The classification itself fluctuated in prominence over the decades, sometimes overshadowed by the general classification, sometimes the very heartbeat of a stage.

The transformation came in 1975. The Tour's organizers sought a jersey that was unmistakable, bold, and instantly readable from a distance. The red-and-white polka dot pattern was chosen, and Eddy Merckx — already a legend in the yellow — became its first wearer. The image of Merckx in the dots, powering up a Pyrenean or Alpine climb, set a template that every subsequent King of the Mountains has had to answer. The jersey became a statement: this rider does not fear the gradient; this rider feeds on it.

Over the decades, the polka dot jersey has been worn by an extraordinary pantheon of climbers. Bernard Hinault claimed it multiple times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, his explosive style making the dots seem to vibrate with effort. Marco Pantani, in 1998, turned the jersey into a symbol of raw, almost feral climbing talent, his silhouette on the mountains a defining image of the era. More recently, riders like Nairo Quintana and others have carried the tradition forward, each adding their own chapter to a story that is, at its core, about the human body's relationship with the mountain.

In Their Own Story

The air thins at 1,800 metres. The peloton has long since shattered, dissolved into a handful of suffering silhouettes strung out along the hairpin switchbacks. The road narrows. The gradient climbs to eleven percent, then thirteen. A rider in the red-and-white polka dot jersey sits at the front, not quite attacking, not quite defending — simply existing in the red zone, lungs burning, legs a metronome of pure will. The crowd on the roadside is a blur of colour and noise, but up here, at this altitude, the world reduces to the road, the sky, and the next bend. He crests the final switchback, the finish banner a white flash, and for one suspended moment the polka dots seem to pulse like a second heartbeat. Then he rolls down, the mountain already forgotten, the next stage waiting.

Reader's Guide

The Grand Prix de la Montagne works on a points system. Each climb in the Tour is categorized — from Category 4 (gentler, shorter ascents) up to High Category (the steepest, longest walls). Riders who cross the summit in the lead receive points; the higher the category, the more points available. The rider with the most points at the end of the race wears the polka dot jersey. Unlike the yellow jersey, which is decided by time, the dots are decided by who is first over the top on the biggest climbs.

The classification was introduced in 1933, but for over four decades the leader wore a yellow scarf rather than a dedicated jersey. In 1975, the Tour introduced the red-and-white polka dot design, and Eddy Merckx became its first wearer. That single decision gave the mountains classification a visual identity of its own, separate from the other three jerseys.

The rules have evolved in detail — the number of points per category, the bonus for the first rider over the top, the treatment of intermediate sprints on climbs — but the principle has remained constant: reward the best climber. Riders like Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Marco Pantani, and Nairo Quintana have each redefined what the jersey means, turning it from a statistical award into a narrative about who can suffer the most, the longest, at the highest altitude.

Did You Know?

• Before 1975, the mountain leader wore a yellow scarf (écharpe) rather than a dedicated jersey — the polka dot design was a brand-new introduction that year.
• Eddy Merckx, already a dominant force in the general classification, was the first rider ever to wear the red-and-white polka dot jersey in 1975.
• The mountains classification dates back to 1933, making it one of the oldest secondary classifications in the Tour, predating the dedicated polka dot jersey by four decades.
• The polka dot jersey is one of only four main classification jerseys in the Tour, alongside the yellow (general), green (sprints), and white (young rider) jerseys.