Vuelta Espana King of Mountain Classification Winners

Written by : Mr Mamil
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The Vuelta España King of Mountains Classification is a secondary competition after the General Classification and Points Classification.

The King of Mountains Classification started the same year as the Vuelta España in 1935. Up until 2005, the leader wore a green jersey. Between 2006 and 2009, the leader wore an orange jersey.

From 2010 onwards, the King of Mountains Classification leader will wear a white jersey with blue dots throughout the race (except Stage 1). The rider who leads the classification at the finish of the last stage in Madrid will be the King of Mountains Classification winner.

Points are awarded to the first six riders to crest each categorized climb. The climbs are categorized as Cima Alberto Fernandez, Especial (ESP), 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, with ESP being the steepest.

Cima Alberto Fernandez is the highest point of each year’s Vuelta Espana. The Especial (ESP) is similar to a Hors catégorie (HC) climb in the Tour de France.

How points are awarded

The points are awarded according to the table below.

Category1st2nd3rd4th5th6th
Cima Alberto Fernandez201510642
Especial (ESP)1510642
First106421
Second531
Third321
Vuelta Espana King of Mountain Classification Points Allocation

Multiple King of Mountains Classification winners

50 different riders have won the King of Mountains Classification in 77 editions.

  • Spanish rider, José Luis Laguía won a record five times in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1965.
  • José María Jiménez (Spain) won four times in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001.
  • David Moncoutié (France) is the only rider who has won four consecutive times from 2008 to 2011.
WinsRiderCountryYears
5José Luis LaguíaSpain1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
4David MoncoutiéFrance2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
4José María JiménezSpain1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
3Andrés OlivaSpain1975, 1976, 1978
3Antonio KarmanySpain1960, 1961, 1962
3Julio JiménezSpain1963, 1964, 1965
2Emilio RodriguezSpain1946, 1947, 1950
2Federico BahamontesSpain1957, 1958
2Felipe YáñezSpain1979, 1984
2Félix CárdenasColombia2003, 2004
2José Luis AbilleiraSpain1973, 1974
2Julián BerrenderoSpain1942, 1945
2Luis HerreraColombia1987, 1991
2Omar FraileSpain2015, 2016
2Tony RomingerSwitzerland1993, 1996
Multiple Vuelta Espana King of Mountain Classification Winners

Past King of Mountains Classification winners

49 different riders have won the King of Mountain Classification in 77 editions from 1935 to 2020.

YearFirstCountrySecondCountryThirdCountry
1935Edoardo MolinarItalyLuigi BarralItalyLeo AmbergSwitzerland
1936Salvador MolinaSpainJulián BerrenderoSpainSpain Fermín Trueba
1937 – 1940No race
1941Fermin TruebaSpainJulián BerrenderoSpainJosé JabardoSpain
1942Julián BerrenderoSpainPierre BrambillaItalyIsidro BerajanoSpain
1943 – 1944No race
1945Julián BerrenderoSpainJoao RebeloPedro FontSpain
1946Emilio RodriguezSpainDalmacio LangaricaSpainJulián BerrenderoSpain
1947Emilio RodriguezSpainMartin MancisidorSpainManuel CostaSpain
1948Bernardo RuizSpainEmilio RodriguezSpainBernardo CapoSpain
1949No race
1950Emilio RodriguezSpainJosé SerraSpainJesús LoroñoSpain
1951 – 1954No race
1955Giuseppe BurattiItalyAntonio GelabertSpainGilbert BauvinFrance
1956Nino DefilippisItalyFederico BahamontesSpainAntonio SuárezSpain
1957Federico BahamontesSpainCarmelo MoralesSpainBenigno AspuruSpain
1958Federico BahamontesSpainJesús LoroñoSpainHilaire Couvreur
1959Antonio SuárezSpainRichard Van GenechtenBelgiumAntonio KarmanySpain
1960Antonio KarmanySpainAntonio SuárezSpainFrans De Mulder
1961Antonio KarmanySpainJulio JiménezSpainJosé Perez-FRsSpain
1962Antonio KarmanySpainJosé SeguSpainJulio JiménezSpain
1963Julio JiménezSpainAntonio KarmanySpainGuy IgnolinFrance
1964Julio JiménezSpainJosé Perez-FRsSpainVentura DiazSpain
1965Julio JiménezSpainAntonio Gomez del MoralSpainEsteban MartinSpain
1966Gregorio San MiguelSpainDomingo PerurenaSpainMariano DíazSpain
1967Mariano DíazSpainGregorio San MiguelSpainVicente Lopez-CarrilSpain
1968Francisco GabicaSpainAntonio Gomez del MoralSpainJosé Perez-FRsSpain
1969Luis OcañaSpainRoger PingeonFranceGilbert BelloneFrance
1970Agustín TamamesSpainVentura DiazSpainJoaquim GaleraSpain
1971Joop ZoetemelkNetherlandsLuis BalagueSpainWilfried David
1972José Manuel FuenteSpainAndrés OlivaSpainMiguel María LasaSpain
1973José Luis AbilleiraSpainEddy MerckxBelgiumLuis BalagueSpain
1974José Luis AbilleiraSpainJosé Manuel FuenteSpainLuis OcañaSpain
1975Andrés OlivaSpainPedro TorresSpainLuis OcañaSpain
1976Andrés OlivaSpainLudo LoosBelgiumJoaquim AgostinhoPortugal
1977Pedro TorresSpainAndrés OlivaSpainLudo Loos
1978Andrés OlivaSpainEnrique CimaSpainBernard HinaultFrance
1979Felipe YáñezSpainVicente BeldaSpainJoop ZoetemelkNetherlands
1980Juan FernándezSpainAnastasio GrecianoSpainJosé Luis LaguíaSpain
1981José Luis LaguíaSpainVicente BeldaSpainJosé Luis CerronSpain
1982José Luis LaguíaSpainJuan FernándezSpainJosé RecioSpain
1983José Luis LaguíaSpainFiorenzo AlivertiItalyMarino LejarretaSpain
1984Felipe YáñezSpainJosé Luis LaguíaSpainEric CaritouxFrance
1985José Luis LaguíaSpainRobert MillarGreat BritainFrancisco RodríguezColombia
1986José Luis LaguíaSpainÁlvaro PinoSpainEduardo ChozasSpain
1987Luis HerreraColombiaVicente BeldaSpainHenri AbadieFrance
1988Álvaro PinoSpainAnselmo FuerteSpainSeán KellyIreland
1989Óscar VargasColombiaPedro DelgadoSpainIvan IvanovSoviet Union
1990José Martín FarfánColombiaÁlvaro MejíaColombiaPablo WilchesColombia
1991Luis HerreraColombiaMarino LejarretaSpainFabio ParraColombia
1992Carlos HernandezSpainTony RomingerSwitzerlandJulio Cesar CadenaColombia
1993Tony RomingerSwitzerlandAlex ZülleSwitzerlandAntonio Miguel DiazSpain
1994Luc LeblancFranceMichele CoppolilloItalyTony RomingerSwitzerland
1995Laurent JalabertFranceRoberto PistoreItalyAlex ZülleSwitzerland
1996Tony RomingerSwitzerlandLaurent JalabertFranceDmitri KonysjevRussia
1997José María JiménezSpainAlex ZülleSwitzerlandLaurent JalabertFrance
1998José María JiménezSpainLaurent JalabertFranceFernando EscartínSpain
1999José María JiménezSpainFrank VandenbrouckeBelgiumRoberto HerasSpain
2000Carlos SastreSpainRoberto HerasSpainRoberto LaisekaSpain
2001José María JiménezSpainClaus Michael MøllerDenmarkJuan Miguel MercadoSpain
2002Aitor OsaSpainRoberto HerasSpainJuan Antonio FlechaSpain
2003Félix CárdenasColombiaAitor OsaSpainJoan HorrachSpain
2004Félix CárdenasColombiaRoberto HerasSpainSantiago PérezSpain
2005Joaquim RodríguezSpainEladio JiménezSpainRoberto HerasSpain
2006Egoi MartínezSpainPietro CaucchioliItalyAlejandro ValverdeSpain
2007Denis MenchovRussiaJurgen Van GoolenBelgiumCarlos SastreSpain
2008David MoncoutiéFranceChristophe KernFranceAlberto ContadorSpain
2009David MoncoutiéFranceDavid de la FuenteSpainJulián SánchezSpain
2010David MoncoutiéFranceSerafín MartínezSpainEzequiel MosqueraSpain
2011David MoncoutiéFranceMatteo MontagutiItalyJuan José CoboSpain
2012Simon ClarkeAustraliaDavid de la FuenteSpainJoaquim RodríguezSpain
2013Nicolas EdetFranceChris HornerUnited StatesDaniele RattoItaly
2014Luis León SánchezSpainAlberto ContadorSpainAlejandro ValverdeSpain
2015Omar FraileSpainRubén PlazaSpainFränk SchleckLuxembourg
2016Omar FraileSpainKenny ElissondeFranceRobert GesinkNetherlands
2017Davide VillellaColombiaMiguel Ángel LópezColombiaChris FroomeGreat Britain
2018Thomas De GendtBelgiumBauke MollemaNetherlandsLuis Ángel MatéSpain
2019Geoffrey BouchardFranceÁngel MadrazoSpainSergio SamitierSpain
2020Guillaume MartinFranceTim WellensBelgiumRichard CarapazEcuador
2021Michael StorerAustraliaRomain BardetFrancePrimož RogličSlovenia
Vuelta Espana King of Mountain Classification Winners

King of Mountains Classification winners by country

CountryWins
Spain50
France9
Colombia7
Italy3
Australia2
Switzerland2
Belgium1
Netherlands1
Russia1
Vuelta Espana King of Mountain Classification Winners by Country

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