The Battle for the King of the Mountains: The Dramatic Flip of the Polka Dot Jersey from Todome to Loockx

The Mountain Need Not Be High; Points Make It Sacred

The battle for the King of the Mountains title at the 2026 Tour de Taiwan was one of the most dramatic classification fights of the entire race.

What Is the Polka Dot Jersey?

The polka dot jersey (also known as the climbing jersey or King of the Mountains jersey) is awarded to the rider with the most accumulated climbing points. Each categorized climb is graded by difficulty:

Todome’s Early Dominance

Yuhi Todome of Aisan Racing Team showed his strong climbing ability from the “Demon Slopes” of Stage 2 in Taoyuan. He was first to take points on the three Category 2 climbs at Cape No. 3 (Jiaobanshan) and took the polka dot jersey.

By the end of Stage 4, his points tally looked like this:

21 points vs. 19 points—it looked like a clear advantage, but with two categorized climbs on the final stage, everything could still be turned upside down.

Loockx’s Final Comeback

Belgian rider Lander Loockx of Unibet Tietema Rockets clearly saved all his climbing energy for the final stage.

Provincial Highway 9 on Stage 5 was generally flat, but it featured two Category 4 climbs. Loockx timed his efforts perfectly on these two climbs, taking enough points to overtake Todome.

Climbing Points Strategy

In a five-day race like the Tour de Taiwan, there are two strategies for contesting the King of the Mountains:

Strategy 1: Early Investment (The Todome Way)

• Pros: Take the polka dot jersey early and enjoy the psychological advantage of leading
• Cons: Expends energy fighting for points on non-crucial climbs
• Risk: If later stages offer more climbing points, you can be overtaken

Strategy 2: Late Surge (The Loockx Way)

• Pros: Save energy in the early stages, go all out for points on the final stage
• Cons: If someone has built up too many points early, you may not be able to catch up
• Risk: You must precisely calculate how many points you need to take

The 2026 result proved the success of Strategy 2—but if Todome had grabbed a few more points in the first four stages, the outcome could have been completely different.

The Art of Climbing

Climbing is the cruelest test in cycling. On the flats, you can hide in the peloton and save energy; but on a climb, every kilogram of body weight and every watt of power is exposed for all to see.

The climbs of the Tour de Taiwan may not be the multi-thousand-meter epics of the European Grand Tours, but the short, steep climbs demand even more explosive power—you don’t have time to slowly find your rhythm; you must go full gas from the very first second.

Climbing Advice for Fellow Riders

If you want to improve your climbing ability on your own rides:

1. Lower your weight: For every kilogram you lose, climbing gets easier
2. Raise your FTP: Power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) is the core metric for climbing
3. Practice your rhythm: Find your optimal cadence and breathing pattern
4. Mental preparation: Climbing will always hurt; accept that fact
5. Choose the right gearing: It’s not shameful—use the small ring

The polka dot jersey story tells us this: in the world of the King of the Mountains, the one who reaches the summit last is the true king.

Related Reading

• The Four Colored Jerseys of the Tour de Taiwan: Yellow, Green, Polka Dot, and Blue Explained
• The Economics of Escaping for the KOM Polka Dot Jersey: Why It Often Goes to Riders Outside the GC
• Matthew Fox’s Yellow 24 Hours: The Shortest-Lived Yellow Jersey Winner in Tour de Taiwan History
• Defending the Blue Jersey: How Yuma Koishi Held On to Best Asian Rider Honors