
Lanterne Rouge
The Last Man in the Tour de France
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.16
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Andrew Fallaize
-
By:
-
Max Leonard
About this listen
A lively and entertaining history of the riders who have come in last place during the grueling 3,000-mile Tour de France...
Froome, Wiggins, Merckx - 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 percent who don’t win the trophy, and forces us to re-examine the meaning of success, failure, and the very nature of sport.
©2019 Max Leonard (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Magic Spanner
- The World of Cycling According to Carlton Kirby
- By: Carlton Kirby, Robbie Broughton
- Narrated by: Carlton Kirby
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a candid authority that comes from over 25 years commentating on the world's biggest cycling races, legendary Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby isn't afraid to tell it like it really is. Witty, outrageous and often outspoken, Magic Spanner is an insider's view of life on cycling's Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, Giro D'Italia, Vuelta a España and the classics, all delivered in the inimitable style for which Carlton has become globally famous.
-
-
Engaging Delight
- By Amazon Customer on 05-30-24
By: Carlton Kirby, and others
-
Sprinting Through No Man's Land
- Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France
- By: Adin Dobkin
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 29, 1919, one day after the Treaty of Versailles brought about the end of World War I, nearly seventy cyclists embarked on the thirteenth Tour de France. From Paris, the war-weary men rode down the western coast on a race that would trace the country’s border, through seaside towns and mountains to the ghostly western front. Traversing a cratered postwar landscape, the cyclists faced near-impossible odds and the psychological scars of war. Most of the athletes had arrived straight from the front, where so many fellow countrymen had suffered or died.
-
-
Encyclopedia, Anyone?
- By Sheryl on 08-24-21
By: Adin Dobkin
-
The First Tour de France
- Sixty Cyclists and Nineteen Days of Daring on the Road to Paris
- By: Peter Cossins
- Narrated by: Joseph Kloska
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From its inception, the 1903 Tour de France was a colorful affair. Full of adventure, mishaps, and audacious attempts at cheating, it was a race to be remembered. Cyclists of the time weren't enthusiastic about participating in this "heroic" race on roads more suited to hooves than wheels, with bikes weighing up to 35 pounds, on a single fixed gear, for three full weeks. Assembling enough riders for the race meant paying unemployed amateurs from the suburbs of Paris, including a butcher, a chimney sweep, and a circus acrobat.
-
-
Great rendition of the tour then and now.
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-19
By: Peter Cossins
-
Three Weeks, Eight Seconds
- Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon, and the Epic Tour de France of 1989
- By: Nige Tassell
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a race as long as the mighty Tour (three weeks of testing the limits of human endurance), to have the ultimate victory decided by a margin of just eight seconds almost boggles the mind. But that's exactly what happened between American legend Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon. After more than 2,000 miles in the saddle, it remains the smallest margin of victory in the Tour's 100-plus-year history.
-
-
LOVED IT!
- By Ashley Green on 07-03-23
By: Nige Tassell
-
Joey Dunlop
- The Definitive Biography
- By: Stuart Barker
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor—dirt poor—with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports—motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time.
-
-
Well detailed story, and easy to follow.
- By Mark M. on 02-25-25
By: Stuart Barker
-
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
-
-
do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree
-
Magic Spanner
- The World of Cycling According to Carlton Kirby
- By: Carlton Kirby, Robbie Broughton
- Narrated by: Carlton Kirby
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a candid authority that comes from over 25 years commentating on the world's biggest cycling races, legendary Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby isn't afraid to tell it like it really is. Witty, outrageous and often outspoken, Magic Spanner is an insider's view of life on cycling's Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, Giro D'Italia, Vuelta a España and the classics, all delivered in the inimitable style for which Carlton has become globally famous.
-
-
Engaging Delight
- By Amazon Customer on 05-30-24
By: Carlton Kirby, and others
-
Sprinting Through No Man's Land
- Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France
- By: Adin Dobkin
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 29, 1919, one day after the Treaty of Versailles brought about the end of World War I, nearly seventy cyclists embarked on the thirteenth Tour de France. From Paris, the war-weary men rode down the western coast on a race that would trace the country’s border, through seaside towns and mountains to the ghostly western front. Traversing a cratered postwar landscape, the cyclists faced near-impossible odds and the psychological scars of war. Most of the athletes had arrived straight from the front, where so many fellow countrymen had suffered or died.
-
-
Encyclopedia, Anyone?
- By Sheryl on 08-24-21
By: Adin Dobkin
-
The First Tour de France
- Sixty Cyclists and Nineteen Days of Daring on the Road to Paris
- By: Peter Cossins
- Narrated by: Joseph Kloska
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From its inception, the 1903 Tour de France was a colorful affair. Full of adventure, mishaps, and audacious attempts at cheating, it was a race to be remembered. Cyclists of the time weren't enthusiastic about participating in this "heroic" race on roads more suited to hooves than wheels, with bikes weighing up to 35 pounds, on a single fixed gear, for three full weeks. Assembling enough riders for the race meant paying unemployed amateurs from the suburbs of Paris, including a butcher, a chimney sweep, and a circus acrobat.
-
-
Great rendition of the tour then and now.
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-19
By: Peter Cossins
-
Three Weeks, Eight Seconds
- Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon, and the Epic Tour de France of 1989
- By: Nige Tassell
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a race as long as the mighty Tour (three weeks of testing the limits of human endurance), to have the ultimate victory decided by a margin of just eight seconds almost boggles the mind. But that's exactly what happened between American legend Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon. After more than 2,000 miles in the saddle, it remains the smallest margin of victory in the Tour's 100-plus-year history.
-
-
LOVED IT!
- By Ashley Green on 07-03-23
By: Nige Tassell
-
Joey Dunlop
- The Definitive Biography
- By: Stuart Barker
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor—dirt poor—with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports—motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time.
-
-
Well detailed story, and easy to follow.
- By Mark M. on 02-25-25
By: Stuart Barker
-
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
-
-
do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree
-
Spain
- The Inside Story of La Roja's Historic Treble
- By: Graham Hunter
- Narrated by: Graham Hunter
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and then the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012.
-
-
Insider look masterclass
- By Peter on 08-07-15
By: Graham Hunter
-
The Rise of the Ultra Runners
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once the reserve of only the most hardcore enthusiasts, ultra running is now a thriving global industry, with hundreds of thousands of competitors each year. But is the rise of this most brutal and challenging sport - with races that extend into hundreds of miles, often in extreme environments - an antidote to modern life, or is it a symptom of a modern illness? In The Rise of the Ultra Runners, award-winning author Adharanand Finn travels to the heart of the sport to investigate the reasons behind its rise and discover what it takes to join the ranks of these ultra athletes.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Brandon S. Galvez on 07-27-19
By: Adharanand Finn
-
The Secret Race
- Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
- By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win. The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
-
-
Gripping and fascinating
- By Alan on 09-09-12
By: Tyler Hamilton, and others
-
The Football Ramble
- By: Marcus Speller, Pete Donaldson, Luke Aaron Moore, and others
- Narrated by: Marcus Speller, Pete Donaldson, Luke Aaron Moore, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Downloaded over 10 million times a year, The Football Ramble podcast has established itself as the essential independent voice of football punditry. The weekly podcast has resonated with supporters around the world, and their sold-out live shows have been a massive hit with supporters. This audiobook is a collaboration by all four presenters and tackles the real issues from fans you won't see or hear on Sky Sports - or anywhere else, for that matter.
-
-
Best Performance
- By Amazon Customer on 11-15-16
By: Marcus Speller, and others
-
Mike Reilly Finding My Voice
- Tales from Ironman, the World's Greatest Endurance Event
- By: Mike Reilly, Lee Gruenfeld
- Narrated by: Mike Reilly
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ironman is a sports phenomenon that has come to symbolize the very best of human striving, achievement, and excellence. And race announcer Mike Reilly is known throughout the endurance sports world as the "Voice of Ironman." Every year, over 300,000 people around the world compete in a series of long-distance triathlons that test the outer limits of their physical abilities and mental toughness. Some do it for glory, some to test themselves, some to honor lost loved ones or colleagues, some to bring healing to their troubled lives.
-
-
Inspiration for any athlete
- By Niwot Mom on 05-13-19
By: Mike Reilly, and others
-
The Art of Cycling
- By: Cadel Evans
- Narrated by: Alan King
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The autobiography of a cycling legend that will become a much-loved classic. The much-anticipated autobiography of the greatest Australian cyclist of all time. Famous in the sport for his meticulous preparation and an athlete who prided himself on his ability to leave it all on the road, Evans writes about the triumphs, the frustrations, the training, the preparation, the psychology of the sport, his contemporaries, the legends and his enduring love of cycling. A riveting and forensic account of his life on the bike....
-
-
A Favorite For Sure.
- By S. Gray on 04-14-21
By: Cadel Evans
-
One-Way Ticket
- Nine Lives on Two Wheels
- By: Jonathan Vaughters, Jeremy Whittle - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Vaughters
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jonathan Vaughters' story is the story of modern cycling. From his early years as a keen cyclist in his hometown in Colorado to his unflinching rite of passage as a professional rider with US Postal to his elevation as one of cycling's most resilient, ethical, and intelligent team bosses, the highs and lows of his career have mirrored those of the sport itself.
-
-
Excruciating Listen
- By Brian I. on 09-15-19
By: Jonathan Vaughters, and others
-
My World
- By: Peter Sagan
- Narrated by: Sy Thomas
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peter Sagan, at just 28 years of age, is already one of cycling's greatest riders of all time. With four Tour de France points jersey victories, three road-race world championships, the 2018 Paris-Roubaix, and multiple spring classics among Sagan's palmares, the world of cycling agrees that this intense, yet fun-loving rider is among the most dominant and fun-to-watch riders of his generation. In My World, for the very first time, bike racing fans will have the opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of Sagan's cycling life.
-
-
The epilogue was awesome
- By BaldBrendan on 03-13-19
By: Peter Sagan
-
Sean Yates: It's All About the Bike
- By: Sean Yates
- Narrated by: Clive Mantle
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. Behind Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. One of only five Britons to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, Sean Yates burst onto the cycling scene as the rawest pure talent this country has ever seen. After turning professional at the age of 22, he soon became known as a die-hard domestique, putting his body on the line for his teammates.
-
-
A story of a man in love with his bike.
- By E. J. Fronczek on 05-09-17
By: Sean Yates
-
My Time
- By: Bradley Wiggins
- Narrated by: Tom Watt
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 22 July 2012 Bradley Wiggins became the first British man ever to win the Tour de France. In an instant, 'Wiggo' became a national hero. Ten days later, having swapped his yellow jersey for the colours of Team GB, he won Olympic gold in the time trial, adding to his previous six medals to become the nation's most decorated Olympian of all time. Outspoken, honest, intelligent and fearless, Wiggins has been hailed as the people’s champion.
-
-
Mixed up chapters. But interesting insights.
- By David on 12-11-12
By: Bradley Wiggins
-
Shut Up, Legs!
- My Wild Ride on and off the Bike
- By: Jens Voigt, James Startt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beloved German cyclist Jens Voigt isn't a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour de France - and wore the yellow jersey twice - Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness.
-
-
Unlike Jensie, the performance lacks
- By Brian Muncy on 03-12-19
By: Jens Voigt, and others
-
The Climb
- The Autobiography
- By: Chris Froome
- Narrated by: Patrick Doherty
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of the revealing, inspirational memoir from the British winner of the Tour de France. The Climb tells the extraordinary story of Chris Froome's journey from a young boy in Kenya, riding through townships and past wild animals, and with few opportunities for an aspiring cyclist, to his unforgettable yellow jersey victory in the 2013 Tour de France.
-
-
Lengai
- By michael on 08-21-14
By: Chris Froome
What listeners say about Lanterne Rouge
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Theodore John
- 01-16-24
A great cycling History Lesson
As an avid cyclist and one who loves to watch bicycle races, especially the tour, this book was absolutely wonderful. Mr. Leonard did an excellent job of giving the reader the imagery of what the tour is like for non-cyclists and for cyclists. The extensive amount of research he gathered to assemble the book is astounding and a tremendously thorough job he did. I learned things about the tour I never knew. He brings to light in this book things that should never be and things that need to be in the sport of cycling.
I have never thought that there is shame or disgrace in finishing last in the world's greatest cycling event. It is a testament to the willpower of the individual and will-power to not quit, to get to the finish at all costs. These riders who finish last should be given more air time during the tours broadcast and they should be honored for at least finishing.
I also thank Mr. Leonard for NOT leaving out the names of some pro level riders who fell from grace such as Lance Armstrong. When the whole of the cycling world has stricken his name from their history, the fact still remains that he won those races. The bike didn't cross the line by itself and the race is still the toughest event in the world. Cyclists like Armstrong, despite their dubious behavior in the tour and other races, still completed the races in the shortest time, they won. The author was honorable enough to recognize this and still say their names. I applaud you.
A word about the narration. Mr. Fallaize's delivery of the manuscript was pleasant to listen to, clear and the recordings were top notch. I must, however, make the observation that the narrator likely lacked any or very little knowledge of the cycling world. This became obviously clear when he mentioned the names of some cyclists, cycling sponsors, bicycles and other cycling related things, where he got the pronunciation completely wrong. Having listened to many different broadcasts of the tour and other races over the years and heard these names said over and over, hearing these name in cycling shops, at cycling events, the mispronunciations had me rewinding several times after hearing them and saying to myself "Who?" or "What?". A minor infraction, but this is something that should have been caught by someone.
Overall, great book and if you are a mad cyclist like myself, you should listen to this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard
- 06-15-23
Lots of interesting history and stories
Well told. Each Lanterne Rouge is a starting point for an interesting tale. Fun to read while watching one of the Grand Tours.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!