It’s the fiftieth anniversary of the polka dot jersey and whether or not or not you knew this already, you is perhaps bored with listening to this repeated many instances within the coming weeks.
Anniversary or not it’s one thing to have fun. The jersey is genuinely iconic and it together with the rider carrying it could take pleasure in legendary standing at instances too. Right here’s a take a look at the competitors and the contenders.
It’s value emphasising it’s only a factors competitors and the meilleur grimpeur / “greatest climber” label is now an appendage. There’s no Strava-like timing contest as attention-grabbing as that is perhaps. It’s about in-race arithmetic and the competitors tends to reward raiders who can acquire factors on the massive mountain phases. This century it’s solely gone 4 instances to the eventual Tour winner (Froome 2015, Pogačar 2020, 2021, Vingegaard 2022).
The 2025 scoring system:
Col de la Loze: 40-30-24-20-16-12-8-4 factors
Hors Catégorie (8 in whole): 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2 factors
Class 1 climbs (5): 10-8-6-4-2-1 factors
Class 2 (12) 5-3-2-1 factors
Class 3 (16): 2-1 factors
Class 4 (26): 1 level
It’s the identical system since 2022 the place just one climb getting double factors. It’s an enormous issue within the competitors, 40 factors for this for the Col de la Loze on the end of Stage 18 is greater than the totality of profitable each climb en route from Phases 1 to 9 (34 factors), or greater than profitable every thing on Stage 10 or 12 (37 and 36 factors respectively). It’d be inconceivable to brush up each level like this, the lesson is extra that aceing the primary ten phases is an inconceivable and dear technique to win outright. Higher to goal for the excessive mountains.
However the jersey every day is a beneficial prize it itself. In a race usually dominated by a handful of riders it’s a possibility for others, consider Jonas Abrahamsen final 12 months and the attendant publicity.
Learn how to win…It’s usually for a rider who will get within the breakaway and wins most factors on a number of climbs on an enormous mountain stage, and repeats this on one other stage or two.
When Tadej Pogačar gained in 2021 accidentally on his technique to profitable the race outright the principles had been modified such that the final HC climb of day-after-day not bought double factors to tilt it again in direction of the breakaway riders; Vingegaard duly gained it on his technique to the win in 2022 however within the final two years it’s reverted to breakaway baroudeurs like Giulio Ciccone and Richard Carapaz.
Stage 18 is the massive day with 40 factors on the end line but additionally two 20 pointers that are in vary for the breakaway. The opposite key characteristic of this route is the variety of HC climbs, there are 9 together with the Loze and that is double the same old quantity. 4 sit mid-stage, 5 are summit finishes.
Each Pogačar and Vingegaard’s wins on this competitors are instructive as a result of their groups chased down the day’s breakaway to set their chief up for the win. Pogačar took 5 mountain phases on the Tour final 12 months, and likewise within the Giro too. This dominant, monopolistic approach of racing will increase the probabilities of the general winner taking the mountains competitors alongside the best way.
The mythologyThe polka dots, a lone rider away within the mountains, the little man attempting to remain away… there’s one thing particular in regards to the jersey and it excites followers greater than its inexperienced cousin. On a mountain stage there is usually a actual communion with the group. Nostalgia performs a component too, recollections of baroudeurs and raids in your chosen period of the nice previous days whereas the much less memorable exploits have fallen away.
The polka-dotted paradoxIt’s additionally a contest… that’s usually lacked competitors. Richard Carapaz was a advantageous winner final 12 months however no person troubled him; in years when there was a contest with riders jostling for the jersey this may be thrilling, till it instantly isn’t. As a result of if riders are scrapping for the jersey it’s full of life to observe but additionally means they don’t pull out an enormous lead. This leaves them vulnerable to being overtaken by the GC contenders; we noticed this in 2021 when Michael Woods, Wout van Aert and Wout Poels had been all going for the polka dots properly into the third week just for Pogačar to win it; the identical in 2022 when Simon Geschke and Giulio Ciccone misplaced out to Vingegaard.
The ContendersIt’s a troublesome one to forecast. Return to final 12 months’s Tour and after Stage 16 eventual winner Richard Carapaz solely had 22 factors and this extra by advantage of his GC bid, Pogačar was far forward on 77 factors. However as Carapaz’s objective pale he switched techniques and took a stage win the subsequent day at Superdévoluy, however solely bought 12 factors that day. Even with a mountain stage to his title he was removed from an apparent contender. It wasn’t till Stage 19 that he bought on the breakaway once more and began accumulating factors, together with the Cime de la Bonette and took the jersey. So a rider may look unlikely to win the competitors even as soon as Mont Ventoux is finished on Stage 16 however can nonetheless mount a bid within the Alps. Nonetheless some seemingly names…
Tadej Pogačar (UAE) is the protected decide, it’s not one thing he’ll goal however it’s simple to see him profitable a mountain stage or three and scoring huge. He may even wish to get revenge on the Col de la Loze after cracking on its slopes the final time. Likewise for Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-LAB), we’ll examine the 2 in additional element for the general preview later this week but when he’s on high then he can win it.
EF gained the jersey final 12 months with Richard Carapaz and possibly had plans to repeat however he’s fallen in poor health and is out. Ben Healy can do mountain raids however in his personal phrases he can’t dash which makes scoring tougher; Neilson Powless can dash and he’s had the jersey earlier than however the onerous half was preserving it within the excessive mountains.
Is Primož Roglič (Redbull-Bora-hansgrohe) a GC contender? He’s anticipated to be however on the age of 35 it’s not getting simpler. His speciality has been sniping uphill sprints so he might be made for this competitors, though his wins have usually come after being pulled by a practice of riders moderately than being entrepreneurial. If he can’t make the rostrum this may be a superb comfort and a lift to his reputation.
Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) had a superb Dauphiné, he might goal for a stable GC end as a top-10 can be a coup for the crew. However he’s punchy and will parlay type into polka dots.
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) is right here for GC however he’s been chasing his type, his win within the one-day race in Andorra the opposite day was as a lot about grit than climbing skill. If he has to modify to a Plan B he and the crew would take it.
Lenny Martinez (Bahrain) is right here for stage wins and given he gained’t be bothering the sprinters success right here means he’ll collect mountains factors. He seems to be like a pure climber however has extra punch, and is artful too. The competitors feels too random to award chainring picks but when compelled he can be up there, and becoming if he joins his grandfather Mariano who gained in 1978. Santiago Buitrago is right here for GC however might copy Carapaz’s 2024 technique and go for it within the third week.
Einer Rubio (Movistar) is a pure climber and that’s nearly an issue as he’ll have to dash to take factors however it’s doable.
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) was climbing properly within the Tour de Suisse and he’s gained this competitors earlier than. However does his type prolong to sprinting on the high of lengthy Alpine climbs? There’s a superb probability he’ll go for it anyway and very like Thomas Voeckler’s racing he will get power for the group. Michael Storer is type unknown however a contender too.
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Caps) is coming for GC however has a superb kick for factors. Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B) likewise though he’s fixated on the primary week that visits dwelling roads. Clément Berthet (Decathlon-Ag2r) is an efficient climber in the hunt for a end result however an extended shot to see him forward of the remainder. Clément Champoussin (XDS-Astana) might characteristic, likewise Joe Blackmore (IPT). Lastly TotalEnergies is a crew of baroudeurs and Jordan Jegat is one to observe however good luck getting forward of the remainder.
Potted polka dotted historical past
The meilleur grimpeur “greatest climber” prize goes again to 1905 when the L’Auto newspaper, organisers of the race, began to label a rider, this was a subjective award
1933 noticed the primary formal factors classification for the mountains competitors
The competitors bought a devoted jersey in 1975
The polka dot design after Tour boss Félix Lévitan remembered the Nineteen Thirties monitor cyclists Henri Lemoine and Marcel Guimbretière racing collectively in a pink and white polka dot jersey impressed from the silk shirts worn by jockeys
The pink matched the branding of Poulain, a chocolate maker that sponsored the jersey
The pink dot design has caught regardless of the change of sponsors
It’s turn out to be so symbolic that many races use a dotted jersey for the mountains competitors too
It’s the polka dot jersey in English, the maillot à pois or “pea jersey” in French
To have fun the fiftieth anniversary the primary rider to attain 50 factors within the competitors wins a token money prize
There’s additionally 210, 150 and 110 UCI rating factors for the primary three riders (the identical for a stage win, though there factors go down to five for fifteenth) so coming second isn’t simply anecdotal
The file is seven titles held by Richard Virenque
