Tyler Farrar, lanterne rousse.

The American is last overall in the Tour de France, 2:37:16 behind Bradley Wiggins. But after 2402km it’s not a big margin.

Cycling is one of the few sports that venerates losers. This is because it is relative. Farrar might be last but that means he’s struggling with injuries and misfortune that would overwhelm most. Consequently the last rider is often the bravest, fighting pain as well as the road.

In the Tour de France the last rider is called the lanterne rouge or “red light”, as if they are the last wagon on a train.

The village of Pussy is near the Col de la Madeleine, a 2000m mountain pass on the route of this year’s Tour de France.

The village sign has been stolen so often that the mayor ordered it to be encrusted into cement and stone to deter thieves.

“Whoa, turn back”

L’Equipe.fr’s 404 error page uses a drawing by their resident cartoonist Chenez.

Count the hairpin bends. Be sure to look for the road way down on the right.

In the 1950s French newspapers competed to bring stories first to the public and one part of this involved getting the newsprint from the printing press to the streets of Paris. At the time there was no faster means than the bike. It was athletic and the best couriers were well paid and as fit as any elite athlete.

They even organised formal races amongst each other, indistinguishable from a normal bike races… except for the stack of newspapers on the front of their bike.