Tour de France 2019: Polka dot jersey guide - Julian Alaphilippe in spot of bother?

While the Tour has run a separate King of the Mountains competition since 1933, it was not until 1975 that the iconic polka dot jersey was introduced. As was usually the case with the classification jerseys, the red spots were derived from the sponsor Poulain, the chocolate manufacturer, whose wrappers had the same distinctive dotted graphics.

Frenchman have won the maillot à pois rouges for the past two years with Warren Barguil (2017) and Julian Alaphilippe (2018) both securing the crown by winning a brace of stages in the mountains.

Before that, Poland's Rafal Majka won the competition twice sandwiched either side of Chris Froome, who in 2015 became the first rider to win both the Tour and polka dot jersey in the same year since Carlos Sastre in 2008.

Today's peloton features one more former winner in Colombia's Nairo Quintana, who won during his maiden Tour in 2013 en route to finishing runner-up to Froome.

France's Richard Virenque holds the record for the most amount of wins – seven – although it's fair to assume that the majority (if not all) of Ricco's jerseys were medically assisted.

Climbs are categorised from the easiest fourth category to HC (Hors Catégorie) which are named so because they're deemed to be 'off the scale'. The old tale was that the number used to correspond to the gearing needed for the cars following the race – and once the race started going higher and higher, they needed to come up with something that superseded that.

Points are available over the summits of each categorised climb; the rider with the most points will wear the polka dot jersey the next day, unless he is in yellow, in which case it goes to the second-best rider in the standings. The points are distributed thus:

In most years, HC climbs are worth just 20 points with the exception of the highest peak of the race or summit finishes, which are usually doubled. But all HC climbs above 2,000 metres – that's to say, all of them – are being awarded double points in 2019.

Supermarket chain Leclerc has stepped into Carrefour's shoes as lead sponsor of the polka dot jersey this year. While there are there no rules as to the amount of polka-dottage riders can indulge in, it's worth adding that Pierre Rolland levels of spotty intoxication are ill-advised.

As mentioned above, there are five HC climbs that peak above 2,000m in this year's Tour, making it a particularly brutal route. These climbs are the Tourmalet, Izoard, Galibier, Iseran and Val Thorens. The race rises above 2,000m on two further occasion (the Cat.1 Col de Vars in stage 18 and the Cat.1 summit finish at Tignes in stage 19), while the Cat.1 Cornet de Roselend is not far off, peaking at 1,968m.

The Souvenir Henri Desgrange – awarded to the first rider over the top of the highest climb of the race – will be decided on the Col de l'Iseran in stage 19.

With a Cat.3 and Cat.4 climb on the opening day of the race, the battle for polka dots will provide a thrilling subplot from the outset. Indeed, categorised climbs feature every day of the race except during the two time trials, which could make the uphill battle particularly juicy.

A maximum total of 446 points over the three weeks works out at an average of 21.24 points available per day: inspiration for the breakaway specialists and mountain goats alike.

Expect the jersey to change hands a few times in the opening week ahead of the first major points-haul day, stage 6, where 44 points are up for grabs en route to the first summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles.

Stage 18 offers the biggest kitty of 92 points thanks to the dual ascent of the Izoard and Galibier ahead of the downhill finish in Valloire.

First up, those Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic) will no doubt renew their rivalry on the steep home roads. Both riders made the competition their own in their respective winning years, although the former enters the race after another strong start to the season while the latter, well, let's just say 'The Whimsical Flâneur' has yet to find the same climbing legs he had at Sunweb.

Keeping it French, Groupama-FDJ duo Thibaut Pinot and David Gaudu may both be a good bet – although much will depend on the former's position in the battle for yellow. Another home rider we may see in polka dots early on – but surely not after all those altitude finishes – is Lilian Calmejane of Total-Direct Energie.

Astana's Spanish duo Omar Fraile and Pello Bilbao are very good on paper although their eggs may be in Jakob Fuglsang's basket. In fact, should the Dane falter in his own GC bid, he could even target the polka dots as a form of compensation. Bilbao climbed well in the Giro while Fraile twice won the Vuelta's KOM competition.

A double mountain stage winner in last year's Vuelta, Ben King (Dimension Data) could have a pop at the polka dot jersey – although you sense that the succession of climbs may well be too much for the American, in the same way that it could prove too much for Belgian's Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Italy's Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team). Breakaways and stage wins may be more realistic targets for that trio.

Given the team's uphill armoury, it would be strange if at least one of Movistar's three-pronged attack – Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa and Alejandro Valverde – do not feature in this competition, especially if their GC chances fizzle out.

Likewise, Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) has been riding well this season and could easily make this competition his own – as could his brother, Simon Yates, who has been included in the Australian team's eight-man squad despite riding the Giro last year. Could the maillot à pois rouges make up for his maglia rosa disappointment?

If the best climber were to always win the polka dot jersey, then Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) would be a shoo-in. But with question marks over the form and fitness of defending champion Geraint Thomas, the Colombian may not be free to attack at will in the mountains as he rides more conservatively – either for his own bid for yellow, or to protect the Welshman.

The absence of four-time Tour champion Chris Froome and the Dutchman Tom Dumoulin may make the 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida) re-evaluate his ambitions. The Italian said earlier that he would not be going for GC and would instead focus on the polka dot jersey following his second place in May's Giro. If he sticks to his word, that would add some gloss to the race.

Spanish debutant Enric Mas (Deceuninck-QuickStep) could easily emerge from teammate Alaphilippe's shadow should the former target the green jersey and punchy stage wins instead.

Other riders to consider are Canada's Michael Woods (EF Education First) and his Colombian teammate Rigoberto Uran, Ireland's Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) and his French namesake Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Gobert).

Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) did well to beat Romain Bardet on the recent Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge, while his Colombian teammate Darwin Atapuma is always up for a mountain breakaway. And finally, we should mention Italy's Giulio Ciccone of Trek-Segafredo, who is set to ride his debut Tour having made last month's polka dot jersey battle in the Giro serious one-way traffic.

Given the wide-open status of this one, the easy thing would be to predict a continuation of the status quo. But surely eight schleps above 2,000m will act against Alaphilippe and play into the hands of a genuine climber. In which case, let's go a bit leftfield and say Enric Mas.