A wind of change swept through the 1975 Tour de France. When the organizers decided to introduce various innovations, they had no idea how long-lasting they would be, but time has proven them right.

Three of these changes now celebrate their 50th anniversary: the polka dot jersey for the best climber, the white jersey for the best young rider, and the final stage finish on the Champs-Élysées.

These innovative choices were the backdrop to an exceptional edition of the Grande Boucle that saw Bernard Thévenet become the first rider to defeat Eddy Merckx at the Tour. The official site of the Grande Boucle invites us to retrace 50 years of this history in four installments that we will present starting today.

CLIMBERS AND A JOCKEY'S JACKET

A jersey inspired by a jockey's jacket to identify the mountain classification leader? Why not! At first, it might have seemed like an extravagant idea, but the white and red polka dots quickly won over fans and riders, starting with Lucien Van Impe who ended his career with six victories in this classification (1971, 72, 75, 77, 81, and 1983) and was the first to truly embody the role of the best climber.

Fascinated by this distinctive jersey, another climber then decided to surpass the Belgian's record. Richard Virenque achieved his goal, winning seven titles (1994, 95, 96, 97, 99, 2003, and 04) and inspiring a French tradition carried forward by Thomas Voeckler, Julian Alaphilippe, and Romain Bardet. Since 1975, French riders have dominated the mountain classification (20 victories), although Colombian climbers have claimed their share (5), as have Italians (5).

We present five special images from that second half of the 1970s. Discover them with us

1 ZOETEMELK THE FIRST TO WEAR IT, VAN IMPE THE FIRST TO CONQUER IT
Lucien Van Impe had already won the mountain classification twice (1971, 1972) when the polka dot jersey was introduced. Determined to honor the new symbol, the Belgian was nonetheless beaten in the first stage by Joop Zoetemelk, who will remain in history as the first rider to wear the now iconic jersey, which initially provoked more laughter than admiration.

2 - VAN IMPE QUICKLY BROUGHT IT TO THE PODIUM
Van Impe, leader of Gitane, became the first official winner of the polka dot jersey and finished third overall in the 1975 edition, behind Thévenet and Merckx.

3 - PHOTOGRAPHERS ALSO FELL IN LOVE WITH THOSE LITTLE DOTS...
Photographers quickly adopted the captivating jersey, staging playful shots during the rest day in Auch, including one where the wearer sat in front of a generous plate of peas.

4 - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: "I WANTED TO SURPASS MY IDOL BAHAMONTES"
In 1983, Van Impe, who remains the last Belgian to have won the Tour (1976), completes his polka dot collection with a sense of mission accomplished: "As a child, Federico Bahamontes was my idol, and I dreamed of matching his six mountain titles".

5 - MIGUEL MARTINEZ AND HINAULT'S "YELLOW DISTRACTION"
In the 1978 Tour, Mariano Martinez won the stage at Saint-Lary-Soulan and saw the possibility of aiming for the polka dot jersey. He won it at Alpe d'Huez, but then had to fight Bernard Hinault to keep it. Fortunately for the Spaniard, the Badger was focused on chasing his first yellow jersey, which gave Martinez some breathing room...