Glossary of Bicycling - L

L

laché

French for "released", see drop.

Lanterne rouge

French for "red lantern", as found at the end of a railway train, and the name given to the rider placed last in a race.

laughing group

Same as autobus. Riders who collect together in a road race just concerned with making it to the finish "in the time" so as not to be disqualified or "swept up". Members of the laughing group are not concerned with contesting the finish.

lead out

Sprinting technique often used by the lead out man where the rider will accelerate to maximum speed close to the sprint point with a teammate, the sprinter, drafting behind, hoping to create space between the sprinter and the pack. When the lead out man is exhausted he will move to the side to allow his teammate to race in the sprint. Often a line of lead out men will be used to form a lead out train to drive the speed higher and higher (and to reduce the chances of other riders attacking) over the closing stages of a race. The purpose of a lead out is for the sprinter to achieve high speed at the sprint approach using as little of his own energy as possible, so he has as much energy as possible for the final sprint.

leech

A rider in a small group who does not share some of the workload by riding in the front where wind resistance is greatest, but instead conserves their energy by riding in the slipstream of one of the other riders. By analogy with leech an animal which feeds on the blood of other animals.

let go

Two meanings, one the opposite meaning of the other

1. To let go a rider or break is allowing a rider(s) to attack and not responding even if one has the capability to follow the attacking move. This is done for tactical reasons. Can be applied in the plural: "the peloton let the break go".
2. To let go the wheels is to not be able to "hold a wheel" unable to follow the pace. To let go a wheel is involuntary but has slightly derogatory edge in that the rider "let the wheels go" before he was pushed to his absolute limit, to be "dropped".

limit

First riders to depart in a handicap race.