Hi there, Re the "Tour de France" what is the linguistic origin of the word "pelletin" -sp?/front group?

Question

Anyone whose French is better than mine, might know this, - or is this word only specific to the 'Tour de France,' or is it a general cycling term? Any other similar info. re related terms and meanings would also be appreciated. Thankyou for any help you can give!

Answer 1

Peleton literally means ' a ball', but now is used to refer to the main group of riders in the field

Answer 2

The spelling is 'peleton' - there is a good description of this in Wikipedia. The term is not exclusive to Le Tour de France, and is a general term used in professional cycling

Answer 3

peloton   \peh-luh-TAHN\   noun

     : the main body of riders in a bicycle race

     In the Tour de France, or any bicycling race, it's the term for the seemingly endless flow of brightly colored riders making up the main group (not necessarily the front group) in the race.

As you have guessed the word is French in origin. In French, "peloton" literally means "ball," as stated by another poster, but it is most often used with the meaning "group."  It also can mean "squad" or "platoon," in French.  (That's where our English word "platoon" comes from.)

In English just as in French, "peloton" is frequently used in any bicycling race, but it can also refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event.

I hope that helps!

Vicki