It means “hat” in French.  It’s also the gesture of taking off your hat and bowing to someone who’s achieved something.  “Well done.”  “Magnificent!”

I love it when two cyclists are battling towards the finish line in the Tour de France.  Often when the loser is being interviewed, he honours the victor.

Simon Yates from England had a great chance to win yesterday’s stage.  In his way was Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz.

Just before the Col du Noyer, Yates had launched a blistering move from a chase group of some 40 riders, powering through a lead breakaway alone, only to be overhauled by another counter-attacker, Carapaz.  With his best chance of a stage in this year’s Tour de France going up in smoke when Carapaz disappeared ahead of him 1.7km from the top of the Noyer, Yates could not have been more straightforward when asked what had happened, saying simply, “I was running out of legs at the end”.

…

The one subject matter to discuss was, obviously enough, his defeat by Carapaz just a few minutes before, with Yates crossing the line 37 seconds down on the Ecuadorian star.  It was hard to imagine he had much appetite for talking after such a relatively narrow loss.

“I was jumping around in the start a lot like everybody but it was not an easy stage, crosswinds at first and a lot of jumping around, flat roads … it wasn’t easy for me to be there.  I did my best but I was running out of legs in the end.”

“Chapeau to Richie, he did a great ride so that was all I could do.”

***

The Tour de France is the summit of cycling’s mountain.  To win a stage of the Tour is a huge achievement.  And yesterday it slipped between Simon’s fingers.

Please reflect on his gracious thoughts

Chapeau, Simon!

We all deserve to hear that word