King of the Mountains

(Redirected from Mountains classification)

The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.

King of the Mountains / Queen of the Mountains
A polkadot cycling jersey worn by Queen of the Mountains: Alison Jackson
SportRoad bicycle racing
Competition
Awarded forClimbing specialists
Local name
  • Le Roi des montagnes (French)
  • Gran Premio della Montagna (Italian)
  • Gran Premio de la montaña (Spanish)

While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest position over several designated climbs in a single-day road race, it is more usually applied to stage races (for example, the Grand Tours, Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España) where points are accumulated over the duration of the whole race.

In the Tour de France, where it is officially known as the Mountains classification, at the top of each significant climb, points are awarded to the riders who are first over the top. The climbs are categorised from 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) based on their steepness and length. A fifth category, called Hors catégorie (outside category) applies to mountains rated even more severe than first category. Similar ratings apply to climbs in the other major Tours.

In the Tour de France, the leader in the mountains competition wears a distinctive polka dot jersey (French: maillot à pois rouges). Although the King of the Mountains was first recognised in the 1933 Tour de France, the distinctive jersey was not introduced until 1975. In the Giro, the King of the Mountains leader wore a green jersey until 2011; in 2012, the jersey changed to blue at the behest of the corporate sponsor of the mountains classification. In the Vuelta several jersey designs have been used, but since 2010 it has been white with blue polka dots.

Additionally, King of the Mountains (KoM) can also apply to the highest ranked user in certain activities tracked by applications such as Strava.[1]

Mountains classification winners of the Grand Tours

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Winners by year

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Legend
Rider also won General classification
Rider also won General and Points classification
Rider also won General and Young Rider classification
Rider also won Young Rider classification
Year[2]   Giro d'Italia   Tour de France   Vuelta a España
1933   Alfredo Binda (ITA) (1/1)   Vicente Trueba (ESP) (1/1) Race not held
1934   Remo Bertoni (ITA) (1/1)   René Vietto (FRA) (1/1)
1935   Gino Bartali (ITA) (1/9)   Félicien Vervaecke (BEL) (1/2)   Edoardo Molinar (ITA) (1/1)
1936   Gino Bartali (ITA) (2/9)   Julián Berrendero (ESP) (1/3)   Salvador Molina (ESP) (1/1)
1937   Gino Bartali (ITA) (3/9)   Félicien Vervaecke (BEL) (2/2) Race not held
1938   Giovanni Valetti (ITA) (1/1)   Gino Bartali (ITA) (4/9)
1939   Gino Bartali (ITA) (5/9)   Sylvere Maes (BEL) (1/1)
1940   Gino Bartali (ITA) (6/9) Race not held
1941 Race not held   Fermín Trueba (ESP) (1/1)
1942   Julián Berrendero (ESP) (2/3)
1943 Race not held
1944
1945   Julián Berrendero (ESP) (3/3)
1946   Gino Bartali (ITA) (7/9)   Emilio Rodríguez (ESP) (1/3)
1947   Gino Bartali (ITA) (8/9)   Pierre Brambilla (ITA) (1/1)   Emilio Rodríguez (ESP) (2/3)
1948   Fausto Coppi (ITA) (1/5)   Gino Bartali (ITA) (9/9)   Bernardo Ruiz (ESP) (1/1)
1949   Fausto Coppi (ITA) (2/5)   Fausto Coppi (ITA) (3/5) Race not held
1950   Hugo Koblet (SUI) (1/1)   Louison Bobet (FRA) (1/2)   Emilio Rodríguez (ESP) (3/3)
1951   Louison Bobet (FRA) (2/2)   Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) (1/3) Race not held
1952   Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) (2/3)   Fausto Coppi (ITA) (4/5)
1953   Pasquale Fornara (ITA) (1/1)   Jesús Loroño (ESP) (1/1)
1954   Fausto Coppi (ITA) (5/5)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (1/9)
1955   Gastone Nencini (ITA) (1/2)   Charly Gaul (LUX) (1/4)   Giuseppe Buratti (ITA) (1/1)
1956   Charly Gaul (LUX) (2/4)   Charly Gaul (LUX) (3/4)   Nino Defilippis (ITA) (1/1)
  Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (2/9)
1957   Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) (3/3)   Gastone Nencini (ITA) (2/2)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (3/9)
1958   Jean Brankart (BEL) (1/1)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (5/9)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (4/9)
1959   Charly Gaul (LUX) (4/4)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (6/9)   Antonio Suárez (ESP) (1/1)
1960   Rik Van Looy (BEL) (1/1)   Imerio Massignan (ITA) (1/2)   Antonio Karmany (ESP) (1/3)
1961   Vito Taccone (ITA) (1/2)   Imerio Massignan (ITA) (2/2)   Antonio Karmany (ESP) (2/3)
1962   Angelino Soler (ESP) (1/1)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (7/9)   Antonio Karmany (ESP) (3/3)
1963   Vito Taccone (ITA) (2/2)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (8/9)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (1/6)
1964   Franco Bitossi (ITA) (1/3)   Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (9/9)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (2/6)
1965   Franco Bitossi (ITA) (2/3)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (4/6)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (3/6)
1966   Franco Bitossi (ITA) (3/3)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (5/6)   Gregorio San Miguel (ESP) (1/1)
1967   Aurelio Gonzales (ESP) (1/2)   Julio Jiménez (ESP) (6/6)   Mariano Díaz (ESP) (1/1)
1968   Eddy Merckx (BEL) (1/3)   Aurelio Gonzales (ESP) (2/2)   Francisco Gabica (ESP) (1/1)
1969   Claudio Michelotto (ITA) (1/1)   Eddy Merckx (BEL) (2/3)   Luis Ocaña (ESP) (1/1)
1970   Martin Vandenbossche (BEL) (1/1)   Eddy Merckx (BEL) (3/3)   Agustín Tamames (ESP) (1/1)
1971   José Manuel Fuente (ESP) (1/4)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (1/8)   Joop Zoetemelk (NED) (1/1)
1972   José Manuel Fuente (ESP) (2/4)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (2/8)   José Manuel Fuente (ESP) (1/1)
1973   José Manuel Fuente (ESP) (3/4)   Pedro Torres (ESP) (1/1)   José Luis Abilleira (ESP) (1/2)
1974   José Manuel Fuente (ESP) (4/4)   Domingo Perurena (ESP) (1/1)   José Luis Abilleira (ESP) (2/2)
1975   Francisco Galdós (ESP) (1/1)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (3/8)   Andrés Oliva (ESP) (1/5)
  Andrés Oliva (ESP) (2/5)
1976   Andrés Oliva (ESP) (4/5)   Giancarlo Bellini (ITA) (1/1)   Andrés Oliva (ESP) (3/5)
1977   Faustino Fernández Oviés (ESP) (1/1)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (4/8)   Pedro Torres (ESP) (1/1)
1978   Ueli Sutter (SUI) (1/1)   Mariano Martínez (FRA) (1/1)   Andrés Oliva (ESP) (5/5)
1979   Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) (1/3)   Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) (1/1)   Felipe Yáñez (ESP) (1/2)
1980   Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) (2/3)   Raymond Martin (FRA) (1/1)   Juan Fernández (ESP) (1/1)
1981   Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) (3/3)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (5/8)   José Luis Laguía (ESP) (1/5)
1982   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (6/8)   Bernard Vallet (FRA) (1/1)   José Luis Laguía (ESP) (2/5)
1983   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (7/8)   Lucien Van Impe (BEL) (8/8)   José Luis Laguía (ESP) (3/5)
1984   Laurent Fignon (FRA) (1/1)   Robert Millar (GBR) (1/2)   Felipe Yáñez (ESP) (2/2)
1985   José Luis Navarro (ESP) (1/1)   Luis Herrera (COL) (1/5)   José Luis Laguía (ESP) (4/5)
1986   Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP) (1/1)   Bernard Hinault (FRA) (1/1)   José Luis Laguía (ESP) (5/5)
1987   Robert Millar (GBR) (2/2)   Luis Herrera (COL) (3/5)   Luis Herrera (COL) (2/5)
1988   Andrew Hampsten (USA) (1/1)   Steven Rooks (NED) (1/1)   Álvaro Pino (ESP) (1/1)
1989   Luis Herrera (COL) (4/5)   Gert-Jan Theunisse (NED) (1/1)   Óscar Vargas (COL) (1/1)
1990   Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (1/5)   Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA) (1/1)   José Martín Farfán (COL) (1/1)
1991   Iñaki Gastón (ESP) (1/1)   Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (2/5)   Luis Herrera (COL) (5/5)
1992   Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (3/5)   Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (4/5)   Carlos Hernández (ESP) (1/1)
1993   Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) (5/5)   Tony Rominger (SUI) (2/3)   Tony Rominger (SUI) (1/3)
1994   Pascal Richard (SUI) (1/1)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (1/7)   Luc Leblanc (FRA) (1/1)
1995   Mariano Piccoli (ITA) (1/2)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (2/7)   Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (1/3)
1996   Mariano Piccoli (ITA) (2/2)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (3/7)   Tony Rominger (SUI) (3/3)
1997   José Jaime González (COL) (1/2)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (4/7)   José María Jiménez (ESP) (1/4)
1998   Marco Pantani (ITA) (1/1)   Christophe Rinero (FRA) (1/1)   José María Jiménez (ESP) (2/4)
1999   José Jaime González (COL) (2/2)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (5/7)   José María Jiménez (ESP) (3/4)
2000   Francesco Casagrande (ITA) (1/1)   Santiago Botero (COL) (1/1)   Carlos Sastre (ESP) (1/2)
2001   Fredy González (COL) (1/2)   Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (2/3)   José María Jiménez (ESP) (4/4)
2002   Julio Perez Cuapio (MEX) (1/1)   Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (3/3)   Aitor Osa (ESP) (1/1)
2003   Fredy González (COL) (2/2)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (6/7)   Félix Cárdenas (COL) (1/2)
2004   Fabian Wegmann (GER) (1/1)   Richard Virenque (FRA) (7/7)   Félix Cárdenas (COL) (2/2)
2005   José Rujano Guillén (VEN) (1/1)   Michael Rasmussen (DEN) (1/2)   Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) (1/1)
2006   Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) (1/1)   Michael Rasmussen (DEN) (2/2)   Egoi Martínez (ESP) (1/2)
2007   Leonardo Piepoli (ITA) (1/1)   Mauricio Soler (COL) (1/1)   Denis Menchov (RUS) (1/1)
2008   Emanuele Sella (ITA) (1/1)   Carlos Sastre (ESP)[B] (2/2)   David Moncoutié (FRA) (1/4)
2009   Stefano Garzelli (ITA) (1/2)   Egoi Martínez (ESP)[A] (2/2)   David Moncoutié (FRA) (2/4)
2010   Matthew Lloyd (AUS) (1/1)   Anthony Charteau (FRA) (1/1)   David Moncoutié (FRA) (3/4)
2011   Stefano Garzelli (ITA) (2/2)   Samuel Sánchez (ESP) (1/1)   David Moncoutié (FRA) (4/4)
2012   Matteo Rabottini (ITA) (1/1)   Thomas Voeckler (FRA) (1/1)   Simon Clarke (AUS) (1/1)
2013   Stefano Pirazzi (ITA) (1/1)   Nairo Quintana (COL) (1/1)   Nicolas Edet (FRA) (1/1)
2014   Julián Arredondo (COL) (1/1)   Rafał Majka (POL) (1/2)   Luis León Sánchez (ESP) (1/1)
2015   Giovanni Visconti (ITA) (1/1)   Chris Froome (GBR) (1/2)   Omar Fraile (ESP) (1/2)
2016   Mikel Nieve (ESP) (1/1)   Rafał Majka (POL) (2/2)   Omar Fraile (ESP) (2/2)
2017   Mikel Landa (ESP) (1/1)   Warren Barguil (FRA) (1/1)   Davide Villella (ITA) (1/1)
2018   Chris Froome (GBR) (2/2)   Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) (1/1)   Thomas De Gendt (BEL) (1/1)
2019   Giulio Ciccone (ITA) (1/2)   Romain Bardet (FRA) (1/1)   Geoffrey Bouchard (FRA) (1/2)
2020   Ruben Guerreiro (POR) (1/1)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (1/3)   Guillaume Martin (FRA) (1/1)
2021   Geoffrey Bouchard (FRA) (2/2)   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (2/3)   Michael Storer (AUS) (1/1)
2022   Koen Bouwman (NED) (1/1)   Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) (1/1)   Richard Carapaz (ECU) (1/2)
2023   Thibaut Pinot (FRA) (1/1)   Giulio Ciccone (ITA) (2/2)   Remco Evenepoel (BEL) (1/1)
2024   Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (3/3)   Richard Carapaz (ECU) (2/2)   Jay Vine (AUS) (1/1)
Year   Giro d'Italia   Tour de France   Vuelta a España
Notes

A. a Franco Pellizotti was the Mountains leader but later had his results removed after his biological passport indicated irregular values, but the classification has not been remade yet. Egoi Martínez was ranked second and later declared winner.
B. b Bernhard Kohl was the Mountains leader but later had his results removed after a positive test for MIRCERA and admission to the use of doping. Carlos Sastre was ranked second and later declared winner.[3]

Most wins

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Two riders have won the "King of the Mountains" in the Tour de France six times: Federico Bahamontes (Spain) and Lucien Van Impe (Belgium), while Richard Virenque (France) holds the record with seven wins. Gino Bartali holds the record for the Giro d'Italia, also with seven wins, while José Luis Laguía has won the Vuelta equivalent five times.

Rank Rider Total Giro Tour Vuelta
1   Federico Bahamontes 9 1 (1956) 6 (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964) 2 (1957, 1958)
  Gino Bartali 9 7 (1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947) 2 (1938, 1948)
3   Lucien Van Impe 8 2 (1982, 1983) 6 (1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983)
4   Richard Virenque 7 7 (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004)
5   Julio Jiménez 6 3 (1965, 1966, 1967) 3 (1963, 1964, 1965)
6   Claudio Chiappucci 5 3 (1990, 1992, 1993) 2 (1991, 1992)
  Fausto Coppi 5 3 (1948, 1949, 1954) 2 (1949, 1952)
  Luis Herrera 5 1 (1989) 2 (1985, 1987) 1 (1987)
  José Luis Laguía 5 5 (1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986)
  Andrés Oliva 5 2 (1975, 1976) 3 (1975, 1976, 1978)

Career triples

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No rider has won the "King of the Mountains" in all three Grand Tours in the same year. Only two riders, Federico Bahamontes and Luis Herrera, have won all three competitions in different years.

Rider Total Giro Tour Vuelta
  Federico Bahamontes (ESP) 9 1 (1956) 6 (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964) 2 (1957, 1958)
  Luis Herrera (COL) 5 1 (1989) 2 (1985, 1987) 2 (1987, 1991)

Natural doubles

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Ten riders have won two mountains classifications in a single year:

References

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  1. ^ Wynn, Nigel (2017-01-16). "How to take a Strava KOM". cyclingweekly.com. Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  2. ^ Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. Gbrathletics.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-13.
  3. ^ Official history of the Tour, see pages 117 and 123 Archived 2009-07-11 at the Wayback Machine