Tour de France Trivia
- In the 1950s they began to honor the man who struggled, without abandoning the TDF, to finish last with the Lanterne Rouge (red lamp) award. The French love the underdog, and love the man that triumphs over struggle.
- Edouard Fachleitner is not so famous for coming in second in the 1947 TDF, as he is for calling home every night to talk to his dog.
- In 1954 a red number first appeared in the peloton. The special colored number is awarded by a panel for the most competitive (Combative) rider the previous day.
- Now we know where it started; Charly Gaul was given the nickname "Monsieur Pi-Pi", after perfecting the art of urinating while still in the saddle.
- The Tour de France roadside character The Devil – AKA German Didi Senff, first appeared in 1993. He travels in his van with gallons of fresh paint yearly to paint his pitchforks on the pavement (and dodge water bottles thrown by the riders).