King of the Mountains

The King of the Mountains (KoM) is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification.

In the Tour de France, the leader in the mountains competition wears a distinctive red polka-dot jersey (French: maillot à pois rouge). 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 d'Italia the King of the Mountains leader wears a green jersey. In the Vuelta a España several jersey designs have been used, but since 2010 it has been white with blue polka dots.

Most wins, Grand Tours
9: Federico Bahamontes (Spain)
    Tour de France (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964)
    Giro d'Italia (1956)
    Vuelta a España (1957, 1958)
9: Gino Bartali (Italy)
    Tour de France (1938, 1948)
    Giro d'Italia (1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947)
8: Lucien Van Impe (Belgium)
    Tour de France (1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983)
    Giro d'Italia (1982, 1983)

The "Cima Coppi" (since 1965) is the highest altitude reached during the course of the Giro d'Italia.
The highest point in the history of the Giro d'Italia is Passo dello Stelvio (2758 m). We have already introduced Cima Coppi on our website:
http://killingmontezoncolan.blogspot.com/2012/02/cima-coppi.html

The "Cima Alberto Fernandez" (since 1935) is the highest point of the Vuelta a España. The highest stage finish in history of the Vuelta is Sierra Nevada (2,510 m). Our introcuction can be found here: http://killingmontezoncolan.blogspot.com/2012/02/cima-alberto-fernandez.html.

Tour de France: "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" (since 1949)
The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange", in memory of the founder of the Tour, is normally awarded to the first rider over the Col du Galibier (2645 m) where Desgrenge's monument from 1949 stands, at the south portasl of the tunnel. Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865, Paris – 16 August 1940) was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set 12 world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France, and he was the director of the Tour from 1903-1940. Before him there had been cycle races that lasted more than one day but never a race composed of individual races adding up to a total. His achievement is not only to have created the Tour de France but that that achievement has been copied across the world in a multitude of other stage races from a weekend to a month long.

Andy Schleck, "Souvenir Henri Desgrenge" 2011
(photo from Col du Galibier: Touho Häkkinen)

Tour de France: "Souvenir Jacques Goddet" (since 2001)
Jacques Goddet (Paris, 21 June 1905 – 15 December 2000) was a French sports journalist and director of the Tour de France from 1936 to 1986; i.e. incredible 5 decades! From 2001 a race called 'le Souvenir Jacques Goddet' is organised. The prize is normally awarded for the first rider to cross the Col du Tourmalet summit.

The highest point ever in the history of Tour de France was the 2011 grand border summit Col Agnel (2744 m).

Col Agnel 2011 (photo: Touho Häkkinen)