Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France - Tapa dura

In some sports, last place doesn't necessarily mean ignominy. Max Leonard's entertaining book is rich with stories. A lively and engaging book that offers a valuable lesson: A lanterne rouge may finish last, but at least he stayed in the race.

Thoughtful, properly researched, and consistently entertaining.--Tim Moore, author of 'Gironimo!'

A meticulously researched history chock-full of names and race information, featuring mini-profiles of several men who have been last-place finishers in the race and are called lanternes rouges.

An elegant book. Surprising and illuminating.

Thoughtful and witty.

Leonard extracts the dignity that sometimes exists in sporting failure; this is not the world of Armstrong, Keane, or Pietersen and it is all the more appealing because of that.

This book does a great job of revealing some of the less well known stories from le Tour: well written, entertaining, and informative.--Richard Peploe, Road

An engaging, exhaustive survey of the last man in the Tour de France, a history, a collection of appealing anecdotes and a psychological consideration of winning and losing. An obvious choice for serious cycling fans, Leonard's study will also please general sports fans, history enthusiasts and those who root for the underdog.

Writer and amateur cyclist Leonard challenges what it means to achieve greatness through the mythos of the sport's underdogs. There is much to learn from this book, which will prove amusing for cycling enthusiasts and interesting enough for sports buffs without a clue.

Don't be surprised if you fall in love with Max Leonard's book. A glorious celebration.

Froome, Wiggins, Mercks—we know the winners of the Tour de France, but Lanterne Rouge tells the forgotten, often inspirational and occasionally absurd stories of the last-placed rider. We learn of stage winners and former yellow jerseys who tasted life at the other end of the bunch; the breakaway leader who stopped for a bottle of wine and then took a wrong turn; the doper whose drug cocktail accidentally slowed him down and the rider who was recognized as the most combative despite finishing at the back.Max Leonard flips the Tour de France on its head and examines what these stories tell us about ourselves, the 99% who don't win the trophy, and forces us to re-examine the meaning of success, failure and the very nature of sport.