The battle for the polka dot jersey in the Tour de France is usually one that is fought in the breakaways. In the past two years, however, it was Tour winner Pogacar who took the victory. But who are the favorites for the mountains classification? In the leader’s jersey she unfolded.
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Last winners of the polka dot jersey Tour de France
2021 Tadej Pogacar
2020 Tadej Pogacar
2019 Romain Bardet
2018 Julian Alaphilippe
2017 Warren Barguil
2016 Rafal Majka
2015 Chris Froome
2014 Rafal Majka
2013 Nairo Quintana
2012 Thomas Voeckler
Points polka dot jersey Tour de France 2022
Anyone who desires the polka dot jersey will have to have sturdy climbers’ legs. The jersey is awarded to the leaders in the mountains classification of the Tour de France. Whoever has collected the most points at the end of the round will take home the jersey. These points can be earned on climbs categorized by the organization, which have their own score for each category. You can read below how much you can earn per category:
Points climbs Hors Category (outside category): 25, 20, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points
Points climbs 1st category: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point(s)
Points climbs 2nd category: 5, 3, 2 and 1 point(s)
Points climbs 3rd category: 2 and 1 point(s)
Points climbs 4th category: 1 point
Unlike last year, there are no double points to be earned on the uphill finishes, which is an advantage for the attackers. Last season, Pogacar mainly managed to take the polka dot jersey through two stage victories on tough cols. Which tough climbs are present in this Tour de France? Read that here!
Favorites mountains classification Tour de France 2022
To compile this list, (former) editors of In de Leiderstrui were asked about their top ten to the question: “Who has the best chance of winning the Tour de France?” Each top ten was awarded points according to the following sequence: 12 points for the number one, 10 for the number two, and so on with 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point. For each rider, the total number of points received is converted into a percentage of the maximum number of points that can be achieved. This is indicated with the relevant riders. This will give you a better idea of what the odds are according to In de Leiderstrui!
10. Primoz Roglic – Jumbo Visma (11.9%)
At number ten in our list we find Primoz Roglici, the Slovenian leader of Jumbo-Visma. As mentioned, the GC riders have less chance this year due to the disappearance of the double points on uphill finishes, but someone like Roglic – and other GC riders too – should not be ruled out for the polka dot jersey.
However, it will be anything but a goal for the 32-year-old driver and his team, as they already have enough ambitions for the upcoming Tour from the start. The polka dot sweater will mainly be by-catch at Jumbo-Visma.
9. Guillaume Martin – Cofidis (11.9%)
It’s actually crazy that Guillaume Martin has never made a serious attempt at the polka dot jersey in five participations. The Cofidis race attacker often cycles back in the classification via the leading group in the second part of a big round, but has never had an eye on the mountains classification.
In the Vuelta of 2020, Martin did and successfully: the blue and white jersey was for him at the time. After a disappointing Giro, the cycling philosopher wants to show himself again in the Tour, and the mountain jersey may be able to help. At Cofidis we also find Ion Izagirre, who has been announced as leader together with Martin.
8. Jonas Vingegaard – Jumbo Visma (16.7%)
In front of Jonas Vingegaard Actually the same applies as Primoz Roglic: a classification is the main goal, the mountains classification will at most be a nice dessert for the Dutch formation and its leaders. Vingegaard is perhaps even more climber than Roglic and thus also has an edge in this list.
It has to come through long attacks, as the double points at the finish line are no longer forgiven. Vingegaard may be sent into the line of fire a little earlier, but will he have his eye on the polka dot jersey? The chance seems very, very small to us.
7. Giulio Ciccone – Trek-Segafredo (23.8%)
In seventh place a man who actually always keeps an eye on the mountains classification: Giulio Ciccone was still active in the battle for the blue jersey in the Giro in May, but at the time had to give up on Koen Bouwman. Earlier, in 2019, Cicco succeeded in his intention: then he won the mountains classification in the round of his own country.
Ciccone has already announced in the Italian media prior to this Tour that he is cautiously thinking about the mountains classification, but that he will look at it all during the round. Nevertheless, based on those statements and his past performances, he has earned his spot on this list.
6. Nairo Quintana – Arkea Samsic (27.4%)
Nairo Quintana was announced by his team as the big man for the general classification, but our (former) editors clearly don’t believe in that. The only scenario in which Quintana seems to be able to win the mountains classification is through the attack, after having lost time in the first week of the Tour.
The Colombian also has to collect WorldTour points for his team, but you can also collect them via the mountains classification. In his first Tour, in 2013, Quintana already won the mountains classification; the same goes for his teammate Warren Barguil, who caught it in 2017.
5. Ruben Guerreiro – EF Education-EasyPost (52.4%)
Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-EasyPost) is another man known for his attacking work in the mountain stages in the Grand Tours. The Portuguese also seems to be in good shape just before the Tour de France: Guerreiro finished in the top ten of the Dauphiné and afterwards won the Mont Ventoux Challenge.
Guerreiro will have to keep calm and choose the right moments, something he often has difficulties with. He usually flies in, but in a heavily occupied Tour de France that can sometimes break him. Nevertheless, it is not surprising that he is one of the favorites for the mountains classification, just like teammate Esteban Chaves.
4. Michael Woods – Israel-Premier Tech (65.5%)
One of the men who already expressed a bulb ambition prior to the Tour is Michael Woods from Israel-Premier Tech. The Canadian has one goal for the first part of the Tour: not to fall so that he can show himself in part two as soon as it goes uphill.
Last year Woods also entered the battle for the mountains classification, but at the time a few crashes ensured that he had to lose out against, for example, Wout Poels. This year there must therefore be a change in the former runner.
3. Tadej Pogacar – UAE Team Emirates (66.7%)
The man who won the mountains classification in the past two years is of course also included in this list: Tadej Pogacaralso the winner of the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021. At the time, however, he owed this mainly to stage victories at the Col du Portet, Luz Ardiden (2021), Grand Colombier and La Planche des Belles Filles (2020), where double points to be collected.
Pogacar will not have made a goal of the mountains classification this year, but the following applies to him simply: he is so good that he can take it all in. white, spheres and yellow; don’t be surprised if it’s all for this Slovenian for the third time in a row.
2. Romain Bardet – Team DSM (66.7%)
Expelled through the back door with illness from the Giro d’Italia, but back to the Tour de France through the front door: Romain Bardet (Team DSM) will start this Tour as a real attacker. In the press release, the team mentioned stage victories, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they were only too happy to take the polka dot jersey there. Think of the 2021 Vuelta, when DSM also went for it with Bardet and Michael Storer.
Bardet already won the bulb classification in 2019 and therefore already has the jersey in his closet, but it seems to us that Team DSM may become very dependent on the shape of the bulbs in the upcoming Tour de France. bardet. With the possible polka dot jersey as a result.
1. Thibaut Pinot – Groupama FDJ (73.8%)
No longer a classification rider, but a full-time attacker: Thibaut Pinoto has finally made the switch to attacking work after years of classification pressure on his person. It already resulted in stage victories in the Tour of the Alps and Tour of Switzerland this year.
Before the Tour de France, Pinot already clearly expressed his ambitions: to win stages and… the polka dot jersey. And such a good climber who expresses that ambition so strongly, that is reason enough for us to put Pinot in first place in the list of favorites for the mountains classification.
Tom van der Salm (Twitter: @TomvanderSalm) | e-mail: [email protected])
Tags: Favorites polka dot jersey Tour France bolt big mountains
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