Simon Geschke still struggles with the 2022 Tour de France polka dot jersey he almost won

For most riders, leading the mountains classification in the Tour de France would be a career highlight. For Simon Geschke, the 2022 race is still something he does not like to look back on.

Riding for Cofidis, he spent nine days in the polka dot jersey after repeatedly joining breakaways and collecting points across the Alps and Pyrenees. But the competition tightened in the final week when the duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar reached its peak.

The decisive moment came on the final mountain stage, stage 18 to Hautacam. When Vingegaard attacked on the final climb, the Dane collected enough points to move ahead in the mountains classification. By the time the race reached Paris, Simon Geschke had finished second, just eight points behind.

For the German rider the narrow margin made the result even harder to accept. “The polka dot jersey is by far the last thing I would rank when I think about my career,” Geschke says. “It was a very good performance, but it feels like such a big loss.”

The frustration comes partly from how close he came to securing the jersey before the final mountain stage. Looking back now, Geschke believes small tactical moments earlier in the race could have secured the classification. “One climb in particular was the Col d’Aspin,” he says. “Being third on the top of that climb would have been enough to win the jersey.”

Only three riders sprinted for points on that climb, leaving Geschke just short of the total he needed. In a competition decided by dozens of mountain passes, the difference ultimately came down to a handful of points.

For months after the race the jersey itself became something he struggled to face. “For a long time I did not want to see it,” Geschke admits. “The jersey was under my bed.”

But even years later the emotions have not fully disappeared. “Now it is in my basement,” he says with a small laugh. “We are getting along a bit better now.”

In the end he spent more than a week in the spotlight, yet for Geschke the memory is defined by how close he came. “It does not feel like a victory. It feels like I lost a big chance,” he said.

Listen to the full Hotseat podcast with Simon Geschke 👇