Mountains classification in the Tour de France Mountains classification in the Tour de France The mountains classification is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1933. It is given to the rider that gains the most points for reaching mountain summits first. The leader of the classification is named the King of the Mountains, and since 1975 wears the polka dot jersey (), a white jersey with red polka dots. The first Tour de France crossed no mountain passes, but several lesser cols. The first was the col des Echarmeaux (), on the opening stage from Paris to Lyon, on what is now
Tour de France Tour at the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in 1975, the same year the polka-dot jersey was introduced for the winner of the Mountains Classification. He helped drive an internationalization of the Tour de France, and cycling in general. In 1982 Sean Kelly of Ireland (points) and Phil Anderson of Australia (young rider) became the first winners of any Tour classifications from outside cycling's Continental Europe heartlands, while Lévitan was influential in facilitating the participation in the 1983 Tour by amateur riders from the Eastern Bloc and Colombia. In 1984, for the first time, the Société du Tour de France organized the