Don’t know your bidon from your lanterne rouge? BikeRadar’s glossary of Tour de France terms is here to help

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Published: Monday, 24 June 2024 at 09:00 AM


Cycling can be a jargon-strewn minefield for newcomers and the Tour de France is no different.

Perhaps you enjoyed the Tour de France Netflix series and will watch the race live for the first time this year, but are daunted by the racing lingo.

There’s also the multi-coloured wardrobe of Tour de France leaders jerseys and the classifications they represent.

The way in which Tour de France prize money is distributed is hardly straightforward either.

Factor in the Tour de France bikes and who’s riding what and there’s a lot to get your head around.

Ne t’inquiète pas. Our guide to commonly used Tour de France terms and what they mean will help you follow this year’s action.

Common cycling phrases and what they mean

Attack

A sudden acceleration designed to distance a rider’s opponents, often but not always in the mountains.

Autobus

Quick-Step – Alpha Vinyl riders saved team sprinter Fabio Jakobsen from elimination in 2022.

Every Tour de France stage has a time limit and the autobus forms on the mountainous days when non-climbers from every team work together to finish inside the time limit (see below). Otherwise, they’ll be swept up by the broom wagon (see below).

The autobus is also known as the grupetto.

Baroudeur

POLIGNY, FRANCE - JULY 21: (L-R) Kasper Asgreen of Denmark and Team Soudal - Quick Step and stage winner Matej Mohoric of Slovenia and Team Bahrain Victorious sprint at finish line during the stage nineteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 172.8km stage from Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny / #UCIWT / on July 21, 2023 in Poligny, France.
Matej Mohorič (right) won last year’s stage 19 after getting away in a small group. – David Ramos/Getty Images

An aggressive rider who specialises in breakaways (see below) in the mould of Bahrain-Merida’s Matej Mohorič. They might target the combativity award (see below).

Barrage

Meaning blockage in this context in French, a barrage is when the commissaires (see below) stop team vehicles from driving up to their riders at the front of the race.

This is usually to prevent the cars impacting the race, for example when the gap between the breakaway (see below) and peloton (see below) is less than a minute.

Bidon

The French word for a water bottle; many roadside fans will try to collect discarded bidons as souvenirs (though the UCI officially banned the practice of discarding empty bottles in 2021).

Un bidon collé/collant is a sticky bottle (see below).

Breakaway

BOURG-EN-BRESSE, FRANCE - JULY 20: (L-R) Kasper Asgreen of Denmark and Team Soudal - Quick Step, Victor Campenaerts of Belgium and Team Lotto Dstny, Jonas Abrahamsen of Norway and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team compete in the breakaway during the stage eighteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 184.9km stage from Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse / #UCIWT / on July 20, 2023 in Bourg-en-Bresse, France.
The breakaway succeeded on this occasion, with Asgreen (back) taking the win, but it rarely does. – Michael Steele/Getty Images

A small group of riders (or sometimes an individual), who accelerate away from the main bunch during a stage.

Breakaway riders are not always going for the win though. Sometimes the objective is to “show the jersey” and get their team sponsors on TV (une échappée télé).

Sprinters may join a breakaway to collect points in the green jersey classification (see below).

Broom wagon

PEYRAGUDES, FRANCE - JULY 20: Fabio Jakobsen of Netherlands and Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team reacts after the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 17 a 129,7km stage from Saint-Gaudens to Peyragudes 1580m / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 20, 2022 in Peyragudes, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
The broom wagon, ‘voiture balai’, drives ominously behind the stage stragglers. – Tim de Waele/Getty Images

The vehicle at the back of the race, which metaphorically sweeps up riders struggling to make the time cut due to injury or fatigue. In fact, they’re more likely to step off their bike into the team car.

Bunch sprint

PARIS, FRANCE - JUILLET 23: Coureurs au sprint à l'arrivée lors de la dernière étape du Tour de France sur les Champs Elysées le 23 juillet 2023 à Paris.
Bunch sprints are thrilling, hectic and dangerous. – Victor LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Flatter stages will usually finish with a bunch sprint – a high-octane, hell-for-leather battle for stage honours between the fastest sprinters in the peloton.

Though the peloton arrives at the finish together in a bunch sprint, it is the sprinters and their lead-out riders (see below) who contest the stage win.

Chasse patate

MENDE, FRANCE - JULY 16: Franck Bonnamour of France and Team B&B Hotels P/B KTM attacks in the breakaway during the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 14 a 192,5km stage from Saint-Etienne to Mende 1009m / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 16, 2022 in Mende, France. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)
An attempt to cross to another group solo can be futile. – Alex Broadway/Getty Images

Wild-goose chase in French, literally potato chase; when a rider is stuck between the breakaway and the peloton, with no chance of bridging the gap.

Combativity award

Awarded each day to the most aggressive rider according to the race commissaires.

The combativity award rewards the rider who animated the stage by initiating a breakaway, repeatedly attacked or spent a long time in front of the bunch.

The winner can be spotted easily the next day thanks to their red race numbers. An overall combativity award is also given at the end of the race.

Commissaire

LUZ ARDIDEN, FRANCE - JULY 15: UCI Commissaire Jury & Sergio Henao of Colombia and Team Qhubeka NextHash during the 108th Tour de France 2021, Stage 18 a 129,7km stage from Pau to Luz Ardiden 1715m / @LeTour / #TDF2021 / on July 15, 2021 in Luz Ardiden, France.
A jury of commissaires rules on contentious issues in the race. – Tim de Waele/Getty Images

The official(s) who adjudicate the race; they hand out fines in Swiss Francs and demote or even disqualify riders if rules are broken.

Directeur sportif

ROCAMADOUR, FRANCE - JULY 23: Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen of Denmark and Team Jumbo - Visma - Yellow Leader Jersey celebrates with his Sports director Frans Maassen of Netherlands as overall race winner after the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 20 a 40,7km individual time trial from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 23, 2022 in Rocamadour, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Team Jumbo-Visma sports director Frans Maassen is like a head coach in football. – Tim de Waele/Getty Images

A team’s race-day director; the master strategist; the person gesticulating wildly and conveying tactics out of the team-car window. Some teams prefer ‘sports director’.

Domestique

Jumbo-Visma team's Belgian rider Wout Van Aert wearing the sprinter's green jersey (L) hands a water bottle to Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey (C) as they cycle behind UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the best young rider's white jersey (R) in the ascent of Hourquette d'Ancizan during the 17th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 129,7 km between Saint-Gaudens and Peyragudes in southwestern France, on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Even stars such as Van Aert have to assume domestique duties sometimes. – MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images

The unsung heroes of the team, selected to look after their team leader. Domestiques keep their lead riders safe, fed and watered, and will work to chase down breakaways or try to dictate the pace of the stage.

The French, however, use the more egalitarian équipier or Italian word gregario to describe team helpers.

Echelon

Cyclists ride in an echelon after the pack broke up due to hard wind during the 162,5 km eleventh stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 13, 2016 between Carcassonne and Montpellier. / AFP / JEFF PACHOUD
Team Sky formed echelons on stage 11 of the 2016 Tour de France, helping Chris Froome gain time. – JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

Echelons are splits in the peloton (see below) caused by a team increasing the pace through strong crosswinds.

Riders fan out in a diagonal line across the road as they shelter from the wind behind and to the side of the person in front. At the back of the line, there’s little shelter from the side wind and even the strongest riders will struggle to hold the wheel. As riders lose contact, the bunch splinters into smaller groups called echelons.

This tactic is more common in the Spring Classics, but it can work on the windswept west coast of France.

Confusingly, the French call an echelon une bordure.

Feed zone

SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, FRANCE - JULY 16: Jonathan Castroviejo of Spain and Team INEOS Grenadiers (L) picks food bags from a team soigneur from the team car during the stage fifteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 179km stage from Les Gets les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc 1379m / #UCIWT / on July 16, 2023 in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France.
Soigneurs hand out musettes in the feed zone. – Michael Steele/Getty Images

Lunchtime. Each stage has a dedicated feed zone, where the riders knock the pace off to collect musettes (see below) from their team soigneurs (see below).

Flamme rouge

The one-kilometre-to-go marker, denoted by a red air bridge, under which hangs a red kite.

General classification

CAHORS, FRANCE - JULY 22: Detailed view of Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen of Denmark and Team Jumbo - Visma Yellow Leader Jersey during the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 19 a 188,3km stage from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 22, 2022 in Cahors, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
The general classification leader starts the day in the yellow jersey. – Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

Each rider’s finishing time is collected after the day’s stage. The general classification sorts the riders according to their cumulative time, plus or minus any bonuses or penalties.

The rider who has taken the least time to complete the race so far wears the fabled yellow jersey.

Grand Départ

The start of the race. This year’s Grand Départ is in the Italian city of Florence (Firenze).

Simply le départ is the start of each stage and l’arrivée is the stage finish.

Grand Tour

Cycling’s three most prestigious stage races, each lasting three weeks, the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España are known as Grand Tours.

Grand boucle

Literally the ‘big loop’, the Grand Boucle is an arguably undeserved nickname for the Tour de France. These days, the race doesn’t visit the whole of the country.

Grimpeur

LE-MARKSTEIN, FRANCE - JULY 22: Giulio Ciccone of Italy and Team Lidl-Trek - Polka dot Mountain Jersey competes in the breakaway during the stage twenty of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 133.5km stage from Belfort to Le Markstein 1192m / #UCIWT / on July 22, 2023 in Le Markstein, France.
Climbers compete for the prestigious polka-dot jersey. – David Ramos/Getty Images

A climber; a rider who’s best uphill and may go for King of the Mountains (see below) points.

Intermediate sprint

As well as the finish line, each stage features an intermediate sprint, where there are points and prize money to be won for the first riders across it.

King of the Mountains

COURCHEVEL, FRANCE - JULY 19: Felix Gall of Austria and AG2R Citroen Team celebrates at finish line winning stage seventeen of the 110th Tour de France 2023, a 165.7km stage from Saint-Gervais Montblanc to Courchevel / #UCIWT / on July 19, 2023 in Courchevel, France.
The harder the climb, the more mountains points are offered at the top. – Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

One of the Tour de France’s secondary prizes, the mountains classification ranks the first riders across each classified climb in the race.

The tougher the climb, the more points there are available for that ascent. The leader of the mountains classification is the King of the Mountains and wears the polka-dot jersey.

Lanterne rouge

Named after the red light hung on the back of a train, the lanterne rouge is the rider placed last on the general classification.

Ironically, in the past riders competed to finish last in order to gain invitations to money-spinning post-tour circuit races called criteriums.

Lead-out rider

SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE - JULY 15: (L-R) Alberto Dainese of Italy and Team DSM, Florian Senechal of France and Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team, Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Jumbo - Visma - Green Points Jersey, Luca Mozzato of Italy and Team B&B Hotels P/B KTM and Andrea Pasqualon of Italy and Team Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux on the 2nd sprint at finish line during the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 13 a 192,6km stage from Le Bourg d'Oisans to Saint-Etienne 488m / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 15, 2022 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Lead-out riders have to be very fast in their own right. – Tim de Waele/Getty Images

This rider’s job is to guide their team’s sprinter through the frenzied final hundred metres of a bunch sprint.

They shield them from the wind and leave them in the best position possible before peeling off.

Mark Renshaw and Michael Mørkøv have excelled as poissons-pilotes for joint-record Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish.

Maillot jaune/yellow jersey

The iconic yellow jersey, or maillot jaune, is worn by the general classification leader. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma–Lease a Bike) won the yellow jersey last year.

Maillot vert/green jersey

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 23: (L-R) Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin-Deceuninck - Green Points Jersey, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Team Jumbo-Visma - Yellow Leader Jersey, Giulio Ciccone of Italy and Team Lidl-Trek - Polka Dot Mountain Jersey and Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - White Best Young Rider Jersey celebrate at podium after the stage twenty-one of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 11 5.1km stage from Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris / #UCIWT / on July 23, 2023 in Paris, France.
A sprinter usually wins the green jersey, like Jasper Philipsen did in 2023. – Daniel Cole – Pool/Getty Images

The green jersey is the prize awarded to the points classification leader. Usually dubbed the sprinters’ classification, due to more points being available on flatter stages, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won it last year.

Maillot à pois/polka-dot jersey

A distinctive white jersey with red polka-dots, awarded to the leader of the mountains classification. Lidl-Trek’s Giulio Ciccone wore the polka-dot jersey on last year’s podium.

Maillot blanc/white jersey

The white jersey is worn by the highest-placed young rider in the general classification. All riders younger than 26 on 1 January of the year following the race are eligible for that year’s youth classification. Pogačar won in his final year in the category in 2023.

Mechanical

LARUNS, FRANCE - JULY 05: Quinn Simmons of The United States and Team Lidl-Trek waiting the team car during the stage five of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 162.7km stage from Pau to Laruns / #UCIWT / on July 05, 2023 in Laruns, France.
Quinn Simmons had to wait for the Lidl-Trek team car after a mechanical last year. – Michael Steele/Getty Images

A rider’s worst nightmare; a puncture or other mechanical issue, such as a dropped chain, that causes them to pull over.

A team’s most valuable riders will get a spare bike from their mechanic or a team mate, ideally of the same height, will give them their bike. Less important riders will have to change wheels instead.

If the team car is not in sight, the rider will have to rely on the neutral service (see below) car for assistance.

Musette

A small cloth shoulder bag handed out in the feed zone, containing a rider’s food and extra bidons to help them avoid bonking (la fringale).

Nature break

No, not a civilised pique-nique at a leafy French aire d’autoroute (service station). A nature break is when the riders slow down or stop for a wee.

Neutral service

Jumbo-Visma's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles in the ascent of Col de la Loze during the 17th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 166 km between Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and Courchevel, in the French Alps, on July 19, 2023.
Jonas Vingegaard attacks followed by a hotdog and a Shimano neutral service motorbike. – THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images

A car or motorbike carrying mechanics, spare bikes and wheels to assist riders who have a mechanical if their team car is not close by.

Shimano took over the job from Mavic in 2021.

Parcours

The ‘course’ or route the race is taking.

Peloton

The pack of riders cycles during the 16th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 178,5 km between Carcassonne and Foix in southern France, on July 19, 2022. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The peloton will initially comprise 176 riders. – THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images

The peloton is the main bunch of riders during the race.

Points classification

The top finishers in each stage and at each intermediate sprint are awarded points according to their position. Those points are added together to form the points classification, the leader of which wears the green jersey.

Rouleur

LONGWY, FRANCE - JULY 07: Filippo Ganna of Italy and Team INEOS Grenadiers leads the peloton during the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 6 a 219,9km stage from Binche to Longwy 377m / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 07, 2022 in Longwy, France. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Rouleurs are often time-trialists, such as Filippo Ganna, who ride on the front for hours. – Michael Steele/Getty Images

An all-rounder and often one of the hardest riders in the peloton; a rouleur can excel on all different terrains and often makes for an excellent domestique.

Soigneur

The unsung hero of a team’s staff behind the scenes; the soigneur (also known as a ‘swannie’ in English-speaking teams) is responsible for looking after riders off the bike and handing out musettes, bidons and extra layers of clothing during the race.

Sprinter

CARCASSONNE, FRANCE - JULY 09: Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin-Fenix & Mark Cavendish of The United Kingdom and Team Deceuninck - Quick-Step Green Points Jersey sprint at arrival during the 108th Tour de France 2021, Stage 13 a 219,9km stage from Nîmes to Carcassonne / @LeTour / #TDF2021 / on July 09, 2021 in Carcassonne, France. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Mark Cavendish, the Tour’s greatest sprinter, is competing for the final time this year. – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Capable of stunning bursts of acceleration over short distances, the sprinters slug it out with their counterparts in the peloton on the flatter stages.

Sprint train

Sprint trains form ahead of a bunch sprint, with team-mates providing a wheel for their sprinter to follow through the chaos that unfolds.

At the back of the train will be the lead-out rider with the team’s sprinter on his wheel, ready to burst for the line at the latest possible moment.

Sticky bottle

CALAIS, FRANCE - JULY 05: Stan Dewulf of Belgium and AG2R Citröen Team picks bottles from the Team car during the 109th Tour de France 2022, Stage 4 a 171,5km stage from Dunkerque to Calais / #TDF2022 / #WorldTour / on July 05, 2022 in Calais, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Hold on tight – sticky bottles are not strictly allowed but are common practice. – Tim de Waele/Getty Images

When a directeur sportif hands a bottle out of the team car to a rider who holds on longer than strictly necessary, getting a coup de pouce (helping hand) from the car’s motion.

Three-kilometre rule

On sprint stages, under the three-kilometre rule riders delayed by a crash or mechanical within the final three kilometres of the race will be awarded the same time as the stage winner.

Intended to calm the race for the position in the finale, the rule doesn’t always have the desired effect.

Team classification

Jumbo-Visma crossing the line at the end of the 2023 Tour de France
Jumbo-Visma (as they were then called) won last year’s teams classification. – Victor LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

The team classification ranks each team according to the cumulative time of their top three finishers on every stage. The team classification leaders may – but don’t always – wear yellow helmets to distinguish them in the peloton.

Team time trial

There is no team time trial again this year. A team’s time is calculated at the fifth rider to cross the finish line.

Time trial

Van Rysel XCR time trial bike
The racers switch to very different bikes for the time trials. – Liam Cahill / Our Media

There are 59km of individual time trials in this year’s Tour de France, including stage 21’s mountainous 33.7km between Monaco and Nice. The 2024 Paris Olympics forced the Tour organisers to move from the usual Champs Élysées finish to the south of France.

Riders set off individually, in reverse general classification order, on specialised time trial bikes with the aim of finishing the stage in the quickest time.

Often dubbed the ‘race of truth’, an individual time trial can result in big changes in the general classification.

Time limit/cut

Riders must finish each stage within the time limit. This is based on a percentage of the stage winner’s time and varies according to severity of the day.

Sometimes the commissaires show discretion if racers finish hors délai – if not, they’re eliminated from the race.