I believe the word penultimate, was misused there. Many think of ultimate and penultimate to be of a similar definition, but penultimate referring to the "ultimate -ultimate" of something, not next to the ultimate. Kinda like" irregardless". hear it used all the time, to replace the word regardless, incorrectly, as irregardless wasn't actually a dictionary word until the recent past, and defined as an improper word replacement for the word regardless. (Spent much of my life around two aunts that taught high school English for a combined total of 100 years. Had no choice but to speak and write properly.)
Today's journalists have little in common with those that came before them, especially in the motorcycle world or the MSM.