Tour question

[Matt888]

What is the name given to the guy that finishes in last place?

[bhchdh]

What ever is French for "red lantern", as in the last light you see as a caboose passes.

Google language translater says "lanterne rouge."

[Matt888]

Thanx mate.

[HigherGround]

"Winner", after all the doping tests are completed.

[jotog]

"Winner", after all the doping tests are completed.
LoL

[gcl8a]

What is the name given to the guy that finishes in last place?

Jimmy Casper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Casper)?

[adamastor]

A bit off topic, but in the 70/80's , being the lanterne rouge was an honour as that guy would be invited to rewarding "after Tour criterium races". During the last stage he would race with a red lantern hanging off his bike. So you would hear of the last and 2nd last playing hide and seek under tunnels in order to get lost deliberately by the peloton. That's when they introduced first elimination times in stages, then even a system (can't remember the year) whereby every day the last rider in the GC was elminated.

[USAZorro]

A bit off topic, but in the 70/80's , being the lanterne rouge was an honour as that guy would be invited to rewarding "after Tour criterium races". During the last stage he would race with a red lantern hanging off his bike. So you would hear of the last and 2nd last playing hide and seek under tunnels in order to get lost deliberately by the peloton. That's when they introduced first elimination times in stages, then even a system (can't remember the year) whereby every day the last rider in the GC was elminated.

I know that in the very early days of the tour, the rider finishing last was automatically eliminated. Some of the other items in your post sound rather interesting. Can you provide a link for people who'd want to read more?

[adamastor]

the gist of your information is correct, but the dates are all off.

lanterne rouges became popular in the post-war era, not just the 70s/80s.

the time cuts came long, long before the 70/80s.

the last one to finish got cut system existed in the early days of the tour, when the winner won on points, not time.

fwiw, here's a list of all of the Lanterne Rouge riders in the history of the Tour.

1903 Arséne Millocheau
1904 Antoine Deflotriere
1905 Clovis Lacroix
1906 Georges Bronchard
1907 Albert Chartier
1908 Henri Anthoine
1909 Geroges Devilly
1910 Constant Collet
1911 Lucien Roquebert
1912 Maurice Dartigue
1913 Henri Alavoine
1914 Henri Leclerc
1919 Jules Nempon
1920 Charles Raboisson
1921 Henri Catelan
1922 Daniel Masson
1923 Daniel Masson
1924 Victor Lafosse
1925 Fernand Besnier
1926 André Drobecq
1927 Jacques Pfister
1928 Edouard Persin
1929 André Leger
1930 Marcel Ilpide
1931 Richard Lamb
1932 Rudolf Risch
1933 Ernest Neuhard
1934 Antonio Folco
1935 Willi Kutschbach
1936 Aldo Bertocco
1937 Aloïs Klensch
1938 Janus Hellemons
1939 Armand Le Moal
1947 Pietro Tarchini
1948 Vittorio Seghezzi
1949 Guido De Santi
1950 Fritz Zbinden
1951 Abd el Kader Zaaf
1952 Henri Paret
1953 Claude Rouer
1954 Marcel Dierkens
1955 Tony Hoar
1956 Roger Chaussabel
1957 Guy Million
1958 Walter Favre
1959 Louis Bisilliat
1960 José Berrendero
1961 André Geneste
1962 Augusto Marcaletti
1963 Willy Derboven
1964 Anatole Novak
1965 Joseph Groussard
1966 Paolo Mannucci
1967 Jean-Pierre Genet
1968 John Clarey
1969 André Wilhelm
1970 Frits Hoogerheide
1971 Georges Chappe
1972 Alain Bellouis
1973 Jacques Hochart
1974 Lorenzo Alaimo
1975 Jacques Boulas
1976 Aad van den Hoek
1977 Roger Loysch
1978 Philippe Tesnière
1979 Gerhard Schönbacher
1980 Gerhard Schonbacher
1981 Faustino Cuelli
1982 Werner Devos
1983 Marcel Laurens
1984 Gilbert Glaus
1985 Mario Ronchiato
1986 Ennio Salvador
1987 Mathieu Hermans
1988 Dirk Wayenberg
1989 Mathieu Hermans
1990 Rodolfo Massi
1991 Rob Harmeling
1992 Fernando Quevedo
1993 Edwig Van Hooydonck
1994 John Talen
1995 Bruno Cornillet
1996 Jean-Luc Masdupuy
1997 Philippe Gaumont
1998 Damien Nazon
1999 Jacky Durand
2000 Olivier Perraudeau
2001 Jimmy Casper
2002 Iker Flores
2003 Hans De Clercq
2004 Jimmy Casper
2005 Iker Flores
2006 Wim Vansevenant

Thanx for all infos. I said being a lanterne rouge in the 70's/80's WAS AN HONOUR. Didn't say when it was introduced. All comments out of my own memory. I've been watching Tour de France since 1970, and remembered some of the live comments. I'm sure you can find all this in books or websites, but wouldn't know any link.

[Keith99]

I'm sure some reading this thread are fairly new and one thing has not been made quite as clear as it could be. The lanterne rouge is for the last FINISHER, not last place. Many do not finish. Pretty often the person who is the last official finisher suffered through either a bad crash where they limped in on hte stage and finished near the back for several days afterwards or was ill for several days and suffered through those in hopes of regaining enough form to be able to help his team later.

[gcl8a]

I'm sure some reading this thread are fairly new and one thing has not been made quite as clear as it could be. The lanterne rouge is for the last FINISHER, not last place. Many do not finish. Pretty often the person who is the last official finisher suffered through either a bad crash where they limped in on hte stage and finished near the back for several days afterwards or was ill for several days and suffered through those in hopes of regaining enough form to be able to help his team later.

That's why it's an honor. He didn't give up.

[ed073]

lanterne rouge from the Tour can command $$$ at post-tour criteriums.

[Turboem1]

I'm sure some reading this thread are fairly new and one thing has not been made quite as clear as it could be. The lanterne rouge is for the last FINISHER, not last place. Many do not finish. Pretty often the person who is the last official finisher suffered through either a bad crash where they limped in on hte stage and finished near the back for several days afterwards or was ill for several days and suffered through those in hopes of regaining enough form to be able to help his team later.

Thanks. This is my first year watching the tour (and riding a road bike) and I have no clue how any of it works. I know of maybe 3 peoples names and I watch it just to see some pro's ride.

Is there anywhere that explains how everything works?

[bbattle]

Thanks. This is my first year watching the tour (and riding a road bike) and I have no clue how any of it works. I know of maybe 3 peoples names and I watch it just to see some pro's ride.

Is there anywhere that explains how everything works?

There are some here on BF that'll explain all; some without resorting to sarcasm and being an @ss.

What do you want to know?

[ElJamoquio]

Basics: First ten stages or so are flat, these stages determine points leader, who wears green jersey. There are some bonus points along the way at designated locations to keep things at least a little interesting on flat stages.

The next ten stages or so are hilly/mountainous. Those who get up hills/mountains quickest get separate points, and the person who has the most is KOM - king of the mountains - and gets the polka-dot jersey.

The majority of the competition is focused on the GC - who wears the yellow jersey. This is the person who has the least overall time. You can't really put any time into someone in the flat stages - so this is basically decided in the TT's and the mountain stages.

[HigherGround]

Nice cliche, if only it were true.

As opposed to... having superior form but intentionally losing time so as to avoid collecting high placings, UCI points, contract bonuses, and lucrative product endorsements? :rolleyes: It sounds pretty plausible that the person in last place was either sick or injured. Plus the original comment was qualified with "Pretty often..." rather than saying it was always the case.