Which sponsor inspired the polka-dot mountains jersey introduced in 1975?

The sponsor that inspired the polka-dot mountains jersey introduced in 1975 was Chocolat Poulain.

The Tour de France had recognised its best climber since 1933, when Vicente Trueba won the first mountains classification. However, the distinctive jersey did not appear until 1975. Tour director Félix Lévitan selected a white jersey with red polka dots, inspired by the jersey associated with French cyclist Henri Lemoine.

Chocolat Poulain, the jersey’s sponsor, embraced the design by giving its chocolate-bar wrappers a matching polka-dot pattern. That sponsorship connection explains why the jersey looks so different from the yellow, green and white classification jerseys.

Joop Zoetemelk was the first rider to wear the polka-dot jersey in the 1975 Tour. The sponsor has since changed: Carrefour backed it from 1993 through 2018, and E.Leclerc became sponsor in 2019.