French is no longer the lingua franca

Among the talents that Chris Froome has brought to the Tour de France this year - climbing strength, time-trial prowess, a cool head - little has grabbed the attention of his French hosts more than his skill with their language.

Stage after stage, Froome, the race leader, stands in the small post-race interview area with Girard Holtz, a tanned and well-coiffed French television reporter, and talks about, say, his recent performance in the contre-la-montre, or time trial, and wanting to garder l'avantage, or keep his lead, over rivals.

"Merci, Chris," Holtz has said on more than one occasion, continuing in French, "Thanks for your kindness; thanks for speaking French with us."

This gratitude might once have been seen as merely perfunctory. But the French language's protracted worldwide decline has finally come home to roost. In the 100th edition of the Tour, English has become an equal of, if not superior to, le francais.

Riders like Froome, a Briton who speaks French and Italian, have become more scarce; many rising non-French stars, if they do not already speak French, prefer to learn English instead.

Communiques from the Amaury Sport Organisation, the race organiser, are now issued in both languages. And teams with multinational rosters, seeking unity, are adopting English, not French, as their lingua franca.