Lanterne Rouge : the Last Man in the Tour de France

by Max Leonard

Lanterne Rouge

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction, Sports, History, Biography, Bicycles, France

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2014

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, well-researched, highly personal, race-within-the-race, insider, micro-not-macro history of a niche, within a more-fringe-than-mainstream (at least in the US) sport (professional bicycle racing, and, specifically, the grandest of the "grand tours," le Tour de France).

For bike geeks - and even July-only fans - there is more than a passing familiarity, and no small amount of grim fascination ... and sympathy and horror ... associated with that honorable, yet often cursed, but nonetheless more-visible-than-you-might-expect last place finisher in the world's most popular (watched, followed) cycling race. In a race that only includes super-humans, where a high attrition rate is driven both by cumulative exertion and accidents, finishing last (which sounds ... bad or maybe embarrassing) is counter-balanced by having survived, which is something mere mortals could not reasonably aspire to ... and, often, ... and here's the bizarre aspect ... more than a dollop of notoriety, celebrity, and, (sometimes, big) endorsement money .

At one level, the book is a quasi-sequential series of mini-biographies or period pieces, and many chapters stand alone nicely ... and it's nice to have "met" some of these colorful characters ... but, at the same time, this approach makes make the larger story line feel jagged, fractured, almost random and jumbled.... At another level, the book provides a more than competent, thematic (if not exhaustive) lengthy history of one small slice of a long-running global spectacle.

It's not a perfect book, but, frankly, the relatively short chapters make it easier to digest, in relatively small doses. (As a general rule, I did not - and probably couldn't - consume it in large chunks.) But I definitely found it informative, and, more often than not, entertaining. It definitely belongs on the recommended reading bookshelf for cyclists and cycling fans - which is not as large or diverse as one might like - but I can't say it's one of the first books I'd recommend to someone new to the sport. But, again, I'm glad I read it.

[Mike Shaughnessy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed that the writing didn't stay more focused on the actual Lantern Rouge winners. The best parts of the book were those pieces the author devoted to the lives and adventures of those who won that ignominious award. However, all too often the author couldn't help himself from going off on long digressions, spinning out of control on characters from racing history and other cycling events that lost the thread of the story in many of the chapters. For hard core racers, or folks 'in the know' about the Tour de France, this may be worth looking at. For the rest of us, probably not worth it.

[Edwin Priest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France is fascinating exploration of the psyche and mindset of the last place finishers in Le Tour, the Lanterne Rouges, and in this exploration, Max Leonard relays how the whole concept and identity of Laterne Rouge came to be, and to then become so celebrated.

There is a loose chapter structure to the book as Leonard organizes the concepts and themes of how he believes these riders come to be the Lanterne Rouges: sprinters, failed attackers, and the all-giving domestiques. Leonard's writing is at times lyrical and evocative, but unfortunately is also often choppy and dry, as he jumps around between interviews and little anecdotes from the different years of the Tour, often incorporating his own personal experiences while researching the book.

Lanterne Rouge does give the reader an inside look into some of the ins and outs of this celebrated bike race, including some of the dirt and drugs. It also gives us insight into what it means to be the last place contender participating in this holy race: the sacrifices, the suffering and ultimately the upside down heroism. 4 stars.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ei taida olla monta kirjaa, johon tämä Goodreadsin "I'm finished!" sopisi paremmin...?

Suurin osa urheilua käsittelevästä kirjallisuudesta kertoo suurista voitoista ja elämää suuremmista voittajista, mutta Max Leonardin "Lanterne Rouge : the Last Man in the Tour de France" (Yellow Jersey Press, 2014) ottaa toisen näkökulman ja keskittyy Ranskan ympäriajojen viimeiseksi sijoittuvaan kilpailijaan, jota nimitetään Lanterne Rougeksi. Nimitys juontaa juurensa 1800-luvulle, jolloin junan viimeisen vaunun sijainti ilmoitettiin pimeässä hyvin loistavalla punaisella lyhdyllä.

Luulisi, ettei viimeisessä sijassa olisi juhlimista, mutta maailman haastavimman pyöräilykisan laita on vähän toinen. Jo pelkkä maaliin pääsy on saavutus, osoitus sitkeydestä ja kivun voittamisesta, mutta sillä on mahdollista saada myös ripaus sponsoreita miellyttävää julkisuutta. Välillä viimeisestä sijasta on käyty jopa jonkinlaista käänteistä kilpailua, mikä ei ole välttämättä miellyttänyt järjestäjiä. Vuoden 1980 kisassa otettiin käyttöön jopa viimeisillä sijoilla olevien hylkääminen.

Leonard kirjoittaa kiinnostavasti. Näkökulmat vaihtelevat mukavasti: toisinaan kirjailija kertoo omista kokemuksistaan pyörän selässä, toisinaan hän haastattelee entisiä kilpapyöräilijöitä heidän kotonaan tai suorittaa pölyistä tutkimustyötä yrittäessään selvittää ensimmäisen viimeisen, vuoden 1903 kilpailussa pahnanpohjimmaiseksi sijoittuneen Arsene Millochaun vaiheita.

Viimeiseksi sijoittuneista voi tulla myös osa Tourin mytologiaa, kuten Abdel-Kader Zaafista, värikkäästä pohjoisafrikkalaisesta kilpailijasta, joka sammui kesken reitin juotuaan katsojalta saamaansa viiniä. Vai meniköhän se sittenkään ihan niin? Leonard pureutuu tähänkin teemaan yhdessä kirjan kiinnostavimmista luvuista.

Ja eipä viimeistä sovi aliarvioida. Vuoden 1969 Touria pidetään yleisesti Eddy Merckxin triumfina, mutta niinpä vaan kävi, että suuri belgialainen joutui Puy de Domen huipulla toteamaan kokonaiskilpailun viimeisenä olleen Pierre Matignonin korjanneen etappivoiton (ja samalla kyllä singahtaneen tulosluettelossa ylöspäin).

"Lanterne Rouge" on oikein mukavaa luettavaa pyöräilyn ystäville ja kaikille niille, joita jatkuva menestymispuhe ja -kirjallisuus alkavat ärsyttää.

[Matt Shelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start by saying I dislike cycling/road-racing in general and the Tour de France in particular, which makes this a strange purchase for me.

What drew me to it is that it's about the men who finished last - the glorious sporting losers that I usually find far more interesting than the automatons that win.

What kept me reading was Max Leonard's writing - he weaves together the wonderful tales of Arsene Millocheau and Abdel-Kader Zaaf, and many more, turning these names from history into real living, breathing, people once again.

Their stories are by turns funny, awe-inspiring, and heart-breaking.

I recommend this book to anyone who, like me, cherishes the underdog.

[Pinchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ko bi bila knjiga le daljša. Napisana, kot da bi se pogovarjal z avtorjem. Za starejše kolesarje več raziskovalnega dela. Bolj so mi bile všeč zgodbe o še živečih kolesarjih, saj sem jih prepoznala in velik del je bil intervju. Oriše nastanek Toura, kaj predstavlja kateremu direktorju dirke, kako se je dirka spreminjala tekom let. Zakaj tekmujejo kolesarji, kaj jih žene naprej, ko so zadnji.

http://bukla-na-buklo.blogspot.si/201...

[Joseph Benton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice balance of cycling nerdiness and tour romanticism

[Lain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, which I started as the 2014 Tour was in its final stages. At times it was hard to follow due to there being so many names, teams and timelines, but overall I thought the author gave a fascinating insight to the part of the race that few people focus on. I'm relatively new to following pro cycling but for me this captured everything I love about the Tour de France and I think the perspectives of the various lanternes rouge will give me extra motivation next time I'm out on my own bike.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of some of the hardest working men in the Tour de France. Max breaks down the truth behind why some end up in last place, and there are some fascinating stories here. He also weaves in his interesting journey to complete the book. It turns out it is more interesting to read about the last place finishers then the racers on the podium. Highly recommended if you want some insight into the hard fought efforts in the Tour.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems I've been on a "history of the Tour de France" binge lately. And I'm happy that this is one of the books I've read!

Max Leonard is an excellent prose writer. He expresses wit and insight in equal measure. Not that he's cracking wise all the time but the little bits of wit he drops into the text on occasion are quite nice, well placed, and not a distraction from the storyline.

Unlike "The Our de France: A cultural history" - which provides many interesting insights into the cultural role and importance of the race as a whole - or "Sprinting Through No Man's Land" - which looks at one specific year of the Tour and its context as the first Tour post-World War One, "Lanterne Rouge" looks at what is now the least heralded rider in the race, the one in last place.

Leonard, in some ways, combines aspects of the two previous works mentioned in that he looks at the role of the lanterne rouge across the history of the Tour and, because he is writing about one specific rider in one specific edition of the Tour, he provides some details for each edition of the Tour he includes. It's a good balance of the general and the specific.

I also enjoyed he personal anecdotes related to riding, especially his initially unsuccessful attempt at riding stage 9 of the 2011 Tour as an Étape - a closed course following the route of one of the official stages open to amateur riders. His anecdotes provide a little insight into the author and how he relates to cycling as an amateur, which provides his personal insights into racing.

In covering the lanterne rouge he had to include doping and its effects on at least one rider. It is impossible to write about cycling without mentioning doping. Leonard does a good job of writing about doping without skewing over into a screed one way or the other largely by focusing on one rider in the larger context of the peloton. Turns out doping isn't always the benefit it is often made out to be.

All in all I think people interested in bicycle racing and the Tour de France specifically will enjoy this look at the last man to make it to the end.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lanterne Rouge is the term for the last man in the general classemente of the Tour de France. This is split into 12 chapters each showcasing a different last man starting apropriately with trying to make sense of the first one, a difficult task made harder that the early years records had been destroyed by fire.

I also think as the number of finishers has increased steadily in the last number of years, the reknown of the position has diminished somewhat. Riders are now better prepared, speeds have miraculously slowed in recent years much like the miraculous increases in the early 90s. Of course that is not to ignore that this isn't a clean cut story of those struggling against the dopers, dopers are included like Phillippe Gaumont.

In Ireland's national race, The Rás a term for a finisher, particularly one of the county riders is Man of the Rás for the suffering that they go through to get to the line. For me, in many ways this book represents the same, atleast in the earlier years of it. You have riders like Lambot featured (1919 where he came 10th overall but also last, battling through the destruction of france and shortage of tyres. For the way Leonard describes it, Lambot's ride was epic to make it through), Britain's Hoar and the Algerian rider Abdel Kader Zaaf (though both Hoar and Zaaf I had known more about before reading). liked the pieces on the men I didn't known before. The last number of chapters focused on recent riders (i.e. ones during my lifetime) like Durand, Vansevenent, Jimmy Casper , Flores Borthers and Gaumont

Being about the last man in the tour de france, it bought a smile to my face in the symmetry that this was the last book i read in 2015 when I realised, it brought a smile to my face. I enjoyed the read, Leonard's style is endearing. It is engaging

[Jane Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max Leonard, a cyclist himself, puts a new spin on losing the Tour de France. In 2011 he was one of 4,500 amateurs to attempt the Étape du Tour, one 208K stage of the pro race. He chose to be a DNF—did not finish. By describing first-hand the Étape's trials, Leonard makes it clear that just finishing the grueling 3,500+K actual Tour de France is a trophy-worthy feat, regardless of one’s status in the race. Traditionally, the trophy given for last place is the lanterne rouge, or red lantern.

By telling the stories of twelve last-place finishers from the first Tour in 1903 to modern Tours, Leonard shows there is more to life than winning. He calls the Tour “a three-week lesson in … [France’s] geography and history; it is a drama of ethics and emotions, a tragicomedy in which 200 people want the same thing, yet only one will get it …”

In his well-researched book, Leonard tells of the origins of the Tour de France, the politics, financing, effects of World War I on the race, bicycle technology and weights, and doping problems. By tracking down old newspaper clips and writing to descendants of early cyclists, he is able to tell interesting, sometimes funny anecdotes. For example, some lanterne rouge winners, when not taking wrong turns, stopped along the route for wine breaks and naps.

Enhanced by interesting photos, glossary, suggested further reading, and index, Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France is filled with facts—too many for me, I regret to admit, and I chose to be a DNF. But for an aficionado, I highly recommend this book. Even though I did not finish the book, I read enough to enjoy the history and to feel encouraged by the message.

[Ralph B · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Tour de France fan and a cyclist myself, I looked forward to reading about the last place finishers for a different perspective on the bike race. Besides a cyclist himself, author Max Leonard is a great writer who faithfully captures the struggles and challenges of a multi-day race as told in the words of the lanternes rouges he interviewed and researched. He emphasized that the tour is not just a race at the front and involves many races within the race

His prologue and epilogue chapters are very appropriate, and a clever storytelling device, given that he attempted and initially abandoned an amateur running of a TdF stage (weather issues), then (spoiler alert) finished it in a second attempt. His many in-person interviews of his subjects portrayed them as accomplished athletes who resumed normal lives after their racing days ended.

Leonard provided me with plenty to ponder regarding the honor of just finishing an effort like the tour. He includes racing team strategies and the intense fellowship of a team effort. He revealed major accomplishments as well as antics of last-place finishers, including racers who had won a tour stage before finishing last. Leonard did not shy away from the doping scandals and "le culture de la séringue" that plagued bike racing in general.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's that time of year where I not only obsessively follow all three weeks/21 stages of the Tour de France, I also obsessively read about it. As I have already read the only two Tour de France novels that exist in English (as far as I can tell -- let me know if you have any leads!), this year I went for the non-fiction, in this case Lanterne Rouge which means Red Lantern, and is the title given to the cyclist who finishes last, named after the last railroad car hung with a red lantern, I suppose to prevent collisions? Anyone with the perseverance to finish this three-week grueling ride without succumbing to accidents, illness, or strict stage time cutoffs is still a winner in my book, even if they are shadowed over by the winners. The book delves into the 112-year-long history of the Tour and the forgotten men who finished at the back but, for whatever reason, refused to quit. In the old days they might be loners struggling with damaged equipment or, more recently, domestiques (support riders) helping out their leader, and who are jettisoned rather like rocket stages along the way while the leader goes on to win glory. For what it's worth, this year's Lanterne Rouge was Italian Simone Consonni of Team Lidl Trek, finishing approximately 5 hours and 50 minutes behind the winner and last in the overall standings. Chapeau!

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lantern Rouge by Max Leonard is a book that tells the story of 12-14 competitors of the Tour de France that most people never think about: the ones who came in last. As explained through interviews and publications, this does not mean the ones who came in last were the slowest or the laziest riders. Instead, the reasons these people crossed the finish line at the Champs Elysee in last place on the very last day of the 3-week race are as varied as the people themselves. From the very first Tour until 2013, Leonard picks out riders with different histories and different stories to give them their 15 minutes of fame (though some of the names are well-known to cycling fans from other exploits). It is a very interesting and informative book for people who both enjoy professional cycling and who have a soft spot for those who worked outside of the limelight and (most of the time) press coverage.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike Etape, which is a book for die-hard Tour de France and cycling fans, this book is a little more suited for people who casually follow the Tour every July and do not pay as much attention to the sport the rest of the year. Mr. Leonard gives a great history of the Tour and some of its most exciting figures, including those who have finished last in this amazing race. The stories are fun to read about, the interviews are full of good questions, and he explains some of the cycling lingo in the book that makes it easy for people who do not understand cycling can read. Fantastic book on a fantastic subject.

[Randall Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this book. It tells the stories of some of the men who finished last in the Tour de France, which is an interesting premise, but in this author's hands results in a book that quite frankly was boring. Also, the author does a poor job of trying to weave together the stories that he's telling, so that at the end of the book, I asked myself, "What was the point?" Definitely would not recommend this book, not even to someone who's interested in bicycle racing or the Tour de France.

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been watching the Tour De France with my husband for over thirty years. He is a cyclist, I am a storyteller. I am absolutely transfixed by the personal stories of the Tour participants, and this book, recounting the tales of the riders who come in last, was a fascinating read. As the author says, there is much to learn about the human spirit by how we deal with moments that don’t end in victory, and yet, by completing this grueling three week race, these lanterne rouge cyclists are still champions to the rest of us.

[Rob Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good fun. I would have loved to do the research as it sounds like he did. Swanning round coffee shops in Belgium and France interviewing former cyclists who did enough to be interesting but not enough to be self absorbed wankers. I have been making an effort to read a few more professional cycling books and it is interesting how the discussion of doping has overtaken this sport completely. It is like money in football, has just permeated every aspect of the sport somewhat destroying the fun of it.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of stories about some of the riders who finished the Tour de France in last place--but the key word there is 'finished'. It offers a different perspective to the race, and gets at the motivations and attitudes of some of the riders who were never going to win the Tour. It is presented as something of a personal journey of discovery by the author, and an opportunity to reflect on sport and life.

[SplkdancerReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great TdF book focused on the stories behind the scenes and not as much on the famous names. The writer is clearly at fan and knows his stuff about cycling, which makes it great for other fans. Some of the names are more obscure for those who aren't as familiar with cycling history. He goes through the entire history, from the earliest years to the post-war famous names to the drug controversies of the 90s (which I find many of the other broad histories still avoid like the plague) to recent years.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really 12 short stories where the lanterne rouge is the central theme. It’s ‘This American Life’ in book form. Given the format I suppose it’s expected that I really connected with some of the chapters while floundering through others. Overall, it’s worth the read for a cycling enthusiast or tour aficionado.

[Jack Hope III · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. Learned a lot about the history of the Tour de France, especially from the perspective of non-winning riders. It's interesting to learn how so many riders -- who know they can not win the race outright -- still choose to participate in such a grueling event. Cheers to those who finished.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very much a niche book.
If you’ve followed the Tour de France for a decade or more, understand all the complicated dynamics of the race and know the names of riders past and present, you might well enjoy the book.
Otherwise you will be lost in sea of places, people, and cyclist lore that will mean very little.

[Jackie Bradman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what I was expecting, but was a LONG journey through history! The 2nd half was much much better but unless you love Le Tour, this probably isn’t for you.
My favourites were the brothers Flores & the chapter discussing doping, although a rewrite to include Lawson Craddock wouldn’t go amiss!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it this year during a fall Tour de France, which I enjoyed very much. Un mano a mano until the last minute, in which my winner was Guillaume Martin :). Coming back to the book, a beautiful story of cyclists who end up last in Tour de France but win in so many other ways. Beautifully written!

[Lizzie Worrall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a fair read. I am a massive fan of the Tour de France so love reading any books that give some more behind the scenes gossip and facts. I agree with the other reviewers that the narrative is confusing in places - anecdotes upon anecdotes and side avenues upon side avenues sometimes. If you are a 'TdF rookie' rather than a fan, you may find this a difficult read!

[Rauno Villberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories about and from the "losers" of the Tour - a "loser" that, at the end of 21 stages, has ridden an entire full stage, when comparing time-wise to the maillot jaune.
Yes, the author gets too self-indulgent at times, but as a whole I really enjoyed it, lovely prose and enjoyable commentary. This is not a dry "only the facts" book, so go in with an open mind.

[Jon Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started a little slow, was hard to get into it. But then I totally loved it as there were more and more interesting stories. So much impressive research. Now it just needs a 2nd edition with Lawson Craddock!

[Andrew Webb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. Two stars is a book I’d suggest to cycling friends. But there are books where even if you have no interest in the activity it’s enjoyable. This book had a lot of name drops in it. I’m not the keenest cyclist by any means. Still, great book.