6 Tour de France Keywords You Need To Know

Alright, folks Time to get out your No. 2 pencils and take some notes because you are in Tour de France Vocabulary Class! Your professors (professeurs, rather) today: myself and SportTracks CEO Aaron Averill. Watch the video above or read the transcript below.

The 101st Tour de France is officially under way and we are so pumped to track it with you! Le Tour is an intense, fast-paced, color event that is thrilling to watch no matter how cycling-savvy you might be. Perhaps our favorite part of all is listening to those witty, spirited European commentators. But what do all of those fancy French words they're always throwing around actually mean? We've put together this handy little Tour de France vocabulary guide to help you maximize your understanding and enjoyment of all thrilling cycling action! 

Here goes...

1. Peloton

Say it: (pe-le-tan) 

The main group of riders in a bicycle race; the field or the pack, if you will. Riders in a group save energy by riding close to, and particularly close behind other cyclists. This is commonly known as drafting or slipstreaming. The reduction of drag in a well-developed peloton can be as great as 40 percent! Holy increased cycling efficiency, Batman!

2. Domestique:

Say it: (doh-mes-teek)

A domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of the team leader. In French this word means "servant". A domestique might be tasked with a number of responsibilities, from shuttling food and water from the team car, to chasing down breakaways and creating ideal drafting opportunities for lead rider, to sacrificing a wheel if the leader flats. Cycling is a team sport, and domestiques play a key role in making the lead riders shine!

3. Maillot Jaune:

Say it: (mallow jaw-nay)

The French word for "yellow jersey". The yellow jersey is worn by the rider who has the lowest cumulative time for the stages completed thus far, and the rider with the lowest time on the last day is the overall winner.

So the guy wearing the yellow jersey is the guy who's leading the race. Riders are also competing for the green jersey, which notes the leader of the sprint points, the polka dot jersey, which notes the fastest rider in the hill stages, and the white jersey, identifies the rider with the lowest cumulative time under the age of 26.

4. Flamme Rouge:

Say it: (flam rüzh).
Or my (better) version: (flam row-g)

This translates to "red flag." Said red flag hangs from an inflatable arch, and marks the beginning of the final kilometer of a stage. Always a welcome sight for riders!

5. Hors Catégorie:

Say it: (ȯr cat-e-gor-ie)

The mountain stages of Le Tour are ranked according to difficulty on a scale of 1 to 4, but there are always a few extra-punishing climbs that are labeled as "hors categorie" which means "beyond categorization". This is the term saved for those climbs so steep and windy that cars struggle to make it up! Crazy stuff, y'all!

6. Autobus: 

Say it: (auto-boos)

This fun little word represents the name given to the group, typically comprised sprint specialists and domestiques, who cannot hang with the star climbers in the mountain stages of the tour. As the less-skilled climbers drop off the pace, the congregate in a secondary peleton of sorts that is the autobus. This allows them to work together to save energy and minimize time lost, increasing their odds of being spared from elimination. And who doesn't love to say "autobus!"? What a great word!

So there you have it, fans and friends! Six key words to help you better understand the action and excitement that is Le Tour de France! We sincerely hope this little video has aided you in feeling a little more cycling savvy, and a little fancier and more sophisticated as well! Are there other important Tour de France vocabulary words we left out? If so, please fill us in via Twitter! (@sporttracks)

Thanks for tuning in! Au revoir, and until next time, keep on tracking, SportTrackers!