50 Years Of The Polka Dot Jersey

A Tour De France Icon

On the morning of June 27, 1975, the Tour de France set off from Charleroi, Belgium, with a short semi-stage of just 94 kilometers toward Molenbeek. The peloton rolled out slowly, almost lazily. No one was eager to push the pace, knowing that later that afternoon they’d face the cobbles of Roubaix. The Côte de Bomérée climb, just five kilometers into the stage, was barely more than a bump: 2.4 kilometers at an average gradient of less than 4%. No one was going to launch an attack there. No one — except one rider.

Joop Zoetemelk, the Dutchman from the Gan-Mercier team, had a clear goal. Just 300 meters from the summit, he rose from his saddle and accelerated. No one followed — except Eddy Merckx, because Merckx never let strong riders slip away. But even the Cannibal couldn’t catch him this time. Zoetemelk was first over the top — first across the first King of the Mountains summit of the 1975 Tour. That moment, on an unremarkable climb that no one remembers for its difficulty, marked the birth of something legendary: the Tour de France polka dot jersey.

It wasn’t a coincidence. Joop had planned it. The day before, his father-in-law Jacques Duchaussoy — who worked for the Tour organization at the time — had shown him the new feature for that edition: a white jersey decorated with red polka dots, created for the best climber. Zoetemelk fell in love with it instantly. He wanted to be the first to wear it. And he was. Around 12:30 p.m., on the awards podium in Molenbeek, he stepped into history wearing what would become one of cycling’s most beloved jerseys.

And to think, it wasn’t taken seriously at first. When Belgian Lucien Van Impe — destined to become one of its greatest wearers — first saw it, he exclaimed, “Do you really think I’m going to wear this clown shirt? If this is the jersey for the best climber, I won’t ride for the King of the Mountains.” But three weeks later, it was Van Impe parading down the Champs-Élysées in that very jersey. And he would do it again in the years to come, eventually claiming four of them. The applause he received quickly changed his mind. What had seemed like a playful graphic provocation became a symbol.

The polka dot jersey was born from an idea by Chocolat Poulain, sponsor of the Mountains classification, who wanted to give the climber’s prize greater visibility. Until then, the leader had only received a small fabric badge with the company logo. A debate opened among the Tour’s leadership. Former cyclist Albert Bouvet proposed a design inspired by the Alpine peaks and the Henri Desgrange monument on the Galibier. But it was Félix Lévitan, co-director of the race alongside Jacques Goddet, who was won over by a jersey he had once seen on French track cyclist Henri Lemoine, nicknamed “P’tit pois.” Lemoine, in turn, had drawn inspiration from English jockeys, who wore spotted shirts at racetracks to stand out in the crowd. And just like that, a modern cycling icon was born.

Over the decades, the polka dot jersey has transcended eras and generations. Beloved Frenchman Richard Virenque won it a record seven times. Federico Bahamontes, the “Eagle of Toledo,” ruled the climbs in the 1950s and ’60s — well before the jersey existed. Then came legends like Bernard Hinault, Luis Herrera, Claudio Chiappucci, Michael Rasmussen, Julian Alaphilippe, and more recently, Tadej Pogačar, who managed to win it along with the yellow jersey — something only the greatest can do. Their attacks on the great mountains weren’t just athletic feats; they became timeless moments in the sport.

Those who wear the polka dots don’t wait for the final kilometers. They sense the mountains from afar, launch solo breakaways, and chase glory on the steepest slopes. The polka dot jersey has become more than just a prize — it’s a way of racing, a mindset. Fans love it because it represents the fighters, those who go all-in when the finish line is still a distant dream. Today, it’s second only to the yellow jersey in popularity — and to some, it’s even more captivating.

Since that day in 1975, the polka dot jersey has seen many sponsors — Poulain, Campagnolo, Coca-Cola, Champion, Carrefour, and now Leclerc — but it has never changed its spirit. Every July, when the roads climb through the Alps and the Pyrenees, the jersey reappears in all its splendor. It draws smiles, memories, and applause.

Fifty years after its first appearance, the polka dot jersey is still there — worn by the boldest, the most generous, the ones who attack when the road turns skyward. It’s not just a reward. It’s an anthem to grit, to character, to glory earned meter by meter. And it all started with a breakaway on a forgotten hill. An ordinary climb. But with a finish line that already smelled of legend.

“I just wanted to be the first to wear it,” Joop Zoetemelk said years later. Mission accomplished, Joop. And what a legacy you left behind.

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