Promotional Information

Froome, Wiggins, Merckx, LeMond - we know the winners but what about the men who finish last?

About the Author

Max Leonard's previous books include Lanterne Rouge- the Last Man in the Tour de France and Bunker Research. He has also written about cycling, travel and adventure for Esquire, Monocle, Rouleur, Strava, Rapha and others.

Reviews

Excellent ... compulsive reading...redresses the balance with considerable literary style and panache.
*The Washing Machine Post*

Don't be surprised if you fall in love with Max Leonard's book. A glorious celebration of coming last.
*thetour.co.uk*

Thoughtful, properly researched and consistently entertaining
*Tim Moore*

[A] lively account of largely forgotten men... It’s not easy to come up with an original angle on Le Tour, but with this rear view Leonard has managed the feat in style
*Independent on Sunday*

Brilliant... The stories of the lanternes rouges that Leonard picks out have real value, because the race's rear view can tell you much more than the angle we're all familiar with
*Independent*

Makes for oddly inspiring reading. There is an art to losing
*London Review of Books*

An elegant book... Surprising and illuminating
*Herald*

This is a valuable book with some great stories. Deeply-researched and well-written, it’s an enjoyable read that shouldn’t be rushed
*The Inner Ring*

Fascinating… Without losers, there are no winners
*London Cyclist*

Thoughtful, witty
*Times Literary Supplement*

In this lively, rear-view account of largely unsung heroes, and a few villains, Leonard has managed the difficult feat of coming up with an original angle on Le Tour
*Independent on Sunday*

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

Celebratory and hilarious in equal measures, The Last Man revels in the travails of the underdog
*Metro*

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

This book is an entertaining account taking in everyone from stage winners and former yellow jerseys who couldn’t hang on, to a breakaway leader who stopped for a bottle of wine and then took a wrong turn, to a doper whose drug cocktail backfired
*Bike Radar*