Tour de France - Lanterne Rouge 2008 Spoiler

Could you imagine if Vansevenant was a doper or among those with suspicious hematocrit levels? That would make his quest all the more remarkable.

He reduced the gap by 9 minutes 2006 to Pierro vs. 2007 to Contador. Say it isn't so Bill.

Our man Wim is setting the pace on the Col Agnel.

Our man Wim is setting the pace on the Col Agnel.

While many of the other Lanterne Rouge contenders were dropping off the back and losing contact, Wim set pace, kept an eye on the yellow jersey challengers, fetched water, broke wind for the later-in-the-stage team pacers and escorted Evans over the OC climb and down to the feed zone. Good job, Monsieur Domestique, you are finished for the day so don't burn an unnecessary calorie the rest of the way in and we will see you at the team hotel tonight.

Hmmm - once Vansevenant is released for the day, does the team car radio tell him where the other Lanterne Rouge challengers are on the road?

tcs

Hmmm - once Vansevenant is released for the day, does the team car radio tell him where the other Lanterne Rouge challengers are on the road?

Oh, how one longs for the old days, before race radio took all the drama out of the battle for the Lanterne Rouge! :rolleyes:

Spoiler!





Early results put Sébastien Chavanel in Red at the end of Stage 15, but information coming out now lists him as time limited on the stage, leaving the one, the only, Mr. Lanterne Rouge Wim Vansevenant still last in GC.

Headed into Rest Day #2:

152 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 2.37.42
151 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.31.44
150 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 2.29.18
149 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 2.25.59
148 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 2.25.43
147 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 2.24.06
146 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 2.23.44
145 José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.23.25
144 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 2.21.16

Say! Augé had a good day climbing! Always wonderful to see a rider getting stronger rather than weaker during the Tour.

tcs

Added the Spoiler to the title

Spoiler!


Early results put Sébastien Chavanel in Red at the end of Stage 15, but information coming out now lists him as time limited on the stage, leaving the one, the only, Mr. Lanterne Rouge Wim Vansevenant still last in GC.

Headed into Rest Day #2:

152 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 2.37.42
151 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.31.44
150 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 2.29.18
149 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 2.25.59
148 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 2.25.43
147 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 2.24.06
146 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 2.23.44
145 José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.23.25
144 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 2.21.16

Say! Augé had a good day climbing! Always wonderful to see a rider getting stronger rather than weaker during the Tour.

tcs

Hot damn. New just how much time he could lose. That my friends is a true champion. :lol:

Hey, I sent Silence-Lotto a message from their team website.

Here is the email.
================

Hey, just a note to say good luck in the Tour this year. Tough day for Cadel, but tomorrow is another day. Just letting you know that some of us are pulling for Wim and have started a thread at BikeForums.net. Here is the link if you want to take a look and by all means, if someone want to sign up and post for good info, that would be great.

Have a nice night and good luck over the next few days.

Hey did you notice in the rundown of the Silence-Lotto team that Phil Liggett actually mentioned Wim and the fact that he is in last place and potentially going to hold that honor for the 3rd year! This was the first time I'd heard the Versus team even mention our boy or much about the Lantern Rouge. We need to fire off an email to Bobke and get him on our side here! :)

Yea, I heard that too.

Hey did you notice in the rundown of the Silence-Lotto team that Phil Liggett actually mentioned Wim and the fact that he is in last place and potentially going to hold that honor for the 3rd year! This was the first time I'd heard the Versus team even mention our boy or much about the Lantern Rouge. We need to fire off an email to Bobke and get him on our side here! :)

Consider it done

Consider it done

Oh man, what a great guy you are! I was going to try it, but it takes me hours to figure out how to do stuff sometimes. I gotta stop coloring my hair blonde. :rolleyes:

:lol:
=============

Evening Mr. Roll,

A few of us have start following the Lanterne Rouge competition and have started a thread about it at BikeForums.net. Here is the link if you want to take a look and by all means, if you want to sign up and post for good info, that would be great.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=437999

Have fun at the Tour Day France.

What?!?

Overnight Frenchman Sébastien Chavanel's time limited +42.59 finish (+12:07 after any other finisher) on stage 15 was re-ruled to be not time limited. This recends his disqualification from the Tour and places him now as the Lanterne Rouge on GC:

153 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.42.15
152 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 2.37.42

I call shenanagans.

tcs

What?!?

Overnight Frenchman Sébastien Chavanel's time limited +42.59 finish (+12:07 after any other finisher) on stage 15 was re-ruled to be not time limited. This recends his disqualification from the Tour and places him now as the Lanterne Rouge on GC:

153 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.42.15
152 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 2.37.42

I call shenanagans.

tcs

A French conspiracy. They've had enough of not having one of their own in one of the prized jerseys. :eek: :D

Well, Chavanel probably will have to sprint on the Champs, giving Wim a pretty good chance to reclaim the lead.

C'est la vie, c'est la guerre, ou peut-être, c'est les français.

I may have to change the t-shirts I'm making for the final TT from 'Go, Cadel!' to 'Don't go, Wim!' :D

So when the yellow jersey has to react to attacks by the GC contenders does Wim slow down when contenders for the Lanterne rouge go out the back.

We might see Wim & Chavanel do a track stand on L'Alp Duez. :thumb:

Well, Sébastien is the classic, gritty Tour Lanterne Rouge: a back-of-the-pack man who goes on a long break away, gets fried, bonks, gets caught - by everybody - and drags in last...the day before the Tour heads into the Alps! The first alpine stage is a horror, and he rides the cat 3 and cat 1 climbs alone and doesn't see any other racers for the better part of the final hour he races.

But he doesn't quit! Somehow he drags himself across the line, avoiding the roadies who are by now disassembling the temporary press boxes, and looks at the finish clock. Did he get home in time?

Wim, on the other hand, seems to be the thinking man's Lanterne Rouge: he's there to support his team leaders. He plays his role as an early-to-middle stage domestique, and everything he does is focused on that task. Forget personal finishing goals and ensure you line up strong every morning for the team, that's the ticket (to being on the Tour squad next year).

If I was a team director, I'd lecture my domestiques "I don't pay you to reach your personal goal of finishing in the top 100, and I don't care if your momma is proud of you or not. Be like Wim. When we're finished with you for the day, you go sit in the back of the autobus and make darn sure you don't get in any crashes on the run in to the finish."

However, if I was le Tour director, Wim would make me cringe. "What if there were 50 - or 75 - domestiques who didn't pedal as hard as they could and came lollygagging in every afternoon? The Tour could become a joke! Maybe we can come up with something to keep the boys moving."

Well, we're not in Paris yet, and - not to thread jack but - up at the other end of the GC it's shaping up to be one of the most exciting Tours in ages. What jolly fun!

tcs

Nothing's done for the Lanterne Rouge challenge. French racer Jimmy Casper is preparing something for tomorrow. I heard that he intends to be stopped by the train, around Saint-Etienne de Tinée. To succeed, he just needs to be thirty minutes late.
Come on, Jimmy !

Pascal d'Huez / sporterotism.blogspot.com

I'm still blaming the Frenchies and their conspiracy if Wim doesn't win the Red Jersey. WWWD? :lol:

What?!?

Overnight Frenchman Sébastien Chavanel's time limited +42.59 finish (+12:07 after any other finisher) on stage 15 was re-ruled to be not time limited. This recends his disqualification from the Tour and places him now as the Lanterne Rouge on GC:

153 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.42.15
152 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 2.37.42

I call shenanagans.

tcs

What a crock

Those Frenchmen - if they can't have the maillot jaune, they'll even cheat just to get the prestigious lanterne rouge! :( ;)

Well, Sébastien is the classic, gritty Tour Lanterne Rouge: a back-of-the-pack man who goes on a long break away, gets fried, bonks, gets caught - by everybody - and drags in last...the day before the Tour heads into the Alps! The first alpine stage is a horror, and he rides the cat 3 and cat 1 climbs alone and doesn't see any other racers for the better part of the final hour he races.

But he doesn't quit! Somehow he drags himself across the line, avoiding the roadies who are by now disassembling the temporary press boxes, and looks at the finish clock. Did he get home in time?

Wim, on the other hand, seems to be the thinking man's Lanterne Rouge: he's there to support his team leaders. He plays his role as an early-to-middle stage domestique, and everything he does is focused on that task. Forget personal finishing goals and ensure you line up strong every morning for the team, that's the ticket (to being on the Tour squad next year).

If I was a team director, I'd lecture my domestiques "I don't pay you to reach your personal goal of finishing in the top 100, and I don't care if your momma is proud of you or not. Be like Wim. When we're finished with you for the day, you go sit in the back of the autobus and make darn sure you don't get in any crashes on the run in to the finish."

However, if I was le Tour director, Wim would make me cringe. "What if there were 50 - or 75 - domestiques who didn't pedal as hard as they could and came lollygagging in every afternoon? The Tour could become a joke! Maybe we can come up with something to keep the boys moving."

Well, we're not in Paris yet, and - not to thread jack but - up at the other end of the GC it's shaping up to be one of the most exciting Tours in ages. What jolly fun!

tcs

Must be working, Saturday Wm had four teamates finishing in the final pack with him. Wm now has domestiques supporting his run. :rolleyes:

The Eurosport.fr live update says Sebastian Chavanel has abandoned.

Yes, reports are that Sebastien Chavanel has been swept up by the broom wagon during the asault on the Col de la Lombarde. Big hearted, desperate, gutsy Lanterne Rouge riding over the last three stages by Sebastien and I'm sorry to see him go.

Say, race reports have his brother Sylvain now dropping off the back. No threat to the Lanterne Rouge, though. He started the day in 73rd positon, an hour and a half ahead of brother Sebastien on GC.

tcs

14:13 - Sebastien Chavanel Abandons

There are 152 riders in the Tour de France. Sebastien Chavanel was the last ranked rider in the general classification but he has just stepped off and is quit the race. This means that Wim Vansevenant is, once again, the ’Lanterne Rouge’.

14:13 - Sebastien Chavanel Abandons

There are 152 riders in the Tour de France. Sebastien Chavanel was the last ranked rider in the general classification but he has just stepped off and is quit the race. This means that Wim Vansevenant is, once again, the ’Lanterne Rouge’.

Made my morning. :)

Bloody French can't even give the Lanterne Rouge a go without giving up! ;) :p :D

This year's Lantern Rouge has been so exciting!

Bloody French can't even give the Lanterne Rouge a go without giving up! ;) :p :D
Well, they've had lots of practice & experience at that ;)

Bloody French can't even give the Lanterne Rouge a go without giving up! ;) :p :D

:roflmao2: :roflmao:

:roflmao2: :roflmao:

That joke never gets old, kind of like the "stupid american" jokes

Francesco Chicchi, the most serious Italian contender to the Red jersey, started today 8:24 ahead of Wim. He missed the autobus and finished alone, 7:13 behind the pack containing Krauss, Eisel, Riblon, Sprick and Vansevenant (and 39:13 behind Dessel). He has currently been ruled HD (beyond time) on the stage; we'll see if there's another "timing error" this evening.

These stages with roaring downhill finishes are dangerous for the guys who are blitzed, bonked and in danger of being cut. The worst that can happen on a mountain top finish is falling over at three miles an hour. Downhill, far from your best form, you could wind up with some infrequent flier miles. bike over a cliff today.] Well, glad Chicchi made it home safe, but sorry we won't get to cheer him up L'Alpe d'Huez tomorrow.

Just look at the international flavor the Lanterne Rouge competition has at the end of 16 stages:

151 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 3.08.10
150 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 3.02.12
149 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 2.56.27
148 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 2.56.11
147 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 2.54.34
146 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 2.54.22
145 José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.53.53
144 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 2.51.44

Looking at the clock I can't see how they could challenge for the Red jersey, but we also have Australian Brett Lancaster in 141st, American William Frischkorn in 139th, and Dutchman Martijn Maaskant in 138th.

One last thing: for any of you Tour racers who are contending for the Lanterne Rouge, put a piece of red tape on your handle bar tomorrow. That way we fans won't give you any helping pushes as you crank up L'Alpe d'Huez!

tcs

One last thing: for any of you Tour racers who are contending for the Lanterne Rouge, put a piece of red tape on your handle bar tomorrow. That way we fans won't give you any helping pushes as you crank up L'Alpe d'Huez!

tcs

This thread has been by far the best thing about this sub forum this month.:lol::love:

Chavanel couldn't handle the pressure of what the lanterne rouge brings.

Wim's ruthlessness at the back of the peloton is legendary!

http://users.skynet.be/tinformatica/Loungeplace/TourDeFrance/IMG018.jpg

That joke never gets old, kind of like the "stupid american" jokes
That's "stupid American" to you Mr. "I get mistaken for a stupid American all the time even here in Canada, and by my own family don't ya know". ;)

Looks like Jimmy Casper is starting his attack for the red jersey:

Jimmy Casper (Agritubel) fait partie des premiers distancés dans la montée du col du Galibier. (eurosport.fr) Jimmy Casper (Agritubel) is one of the first distanced in the climb of the Col du Galibier.

EDIT: Oh no! He may have attacked too strongly. Even the French think he might not make the time cut (but he has magically changed teams :D ): Jimmy Casper (Française des Jeux) est passé avec plus de 16 minutes de ****** sur le peloton au sommet du Galibier. Sauf miracle, le Tricolore, largué dès les premiers lacets, ne sera jamais dans les délais

Yes, the Lanterne Rouge action has started on this most difficult of stages. Auge tried to get in the early break, a sure way to get deep fried long before the finish, but alas, he was unsuccessful. Eisel went down on the first OC climb (the Col du Galibier), and is back up with just enough road rash to give him something to thing about while riding the 'Alpe later today. And Casper has lost contact and is riding just in front of the broom wagon's bumper! Allez, Jimmy, allez!

So many different assults! Can Wim withstand all these challenges?

tcs

BTW, did you notice the amazingly narrow roads the race was on yesterday? If a Tour contender had a flat or mechanical, they could easily be out of any and all possible contention by the time the team car got to them with another bike.

And did you notice Wim shadowing Cadel over the OC and down to the valley, riding an identical bike?

tcs

And American Will Frischkorn makes a Lanterne move off the back of the peleton on the first of today's three OC climbs!

tcs

No third Lanterne Rouge for Jimmy Casper this year! It's unclear if he was time limited or swept up by the broom wagon en route, but Stage 17 reports lists him as out of the Tour.

The autobus was huge today - some 70 riders banding together for the climb up L'Alpe ("They can't disqualify us all!") - and finished at 38:00. The wily Wim Vansevenat (Slience - Lotto) was careful to not sit so far back in the 'bus today as to get accidentally gapped and caught in a small group of stragglers that got time limited on the brutal climb. He finished in 129th, his best placing on a stage in the 2008 Tour. He continues to enjoy a ~6 minute trail on nearest Red jersey rival Matthieu Sprick (Bouygues Telecom).

tcs

:lol:
In his velonews.com journal Fresh Korn, Will Frischkorn had a great quote about the autobus (I think it was the entry regarding Stage 16?):
What started as a group of around 20 was probably 70 guys by the end of the second climb. McEwen is the bus driver here for sure and I pity the fool that decides to try and set a pace he doesn't approve of.

:lol:
In his velonews.com journal Fresh Korn, Will Frischkorn had a great quote about the autobus (I think it was the entry regarding Stage 16?):
What started as a group of around 20 was probably 70 guys by the end of the second climb. McEwen is the bus driver here for sure and I pity the fool that decides to try and set a pace he doesn't approve of.

Yea, but I think I like this one better.

We've got a pretty large English-speaking contingent at the back and it's awesome to be in France and make a French guy feel out of place; a little twist on the norm that puts a smile on the face at times when a smile is needed.

I was almost DFL once. A DFL veteran beat me to it. This thread is relevant to my interests. I am studying Wim's strategies closely.

Let me be the first to report Wim retained his grip on the MR today despite a concerted (though certainly unplanned, and unfortunate) effort by Lampre to unseat him.

I am studying Wim's strategies closely.

The man is the total package. (http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2007/photos/2007/jan07/tdu07/tdu073/24.jpg)

tcs

Eisel is in the lead! tommorows time trial will be decisive.

Yes, quite the drop from Eisel (nearly 13 minutes!) to take the GC trail.
There's way more action at the LR end of the classification than for the maillot jaune on days like today.

Let's hope Wim can get enough of a trail in the TT tomorrow... having to protect Evans seems to be compromising his LR hopes.

Wim has the advantage of seeing Eisel's time, and taking at least 42 seconds longer.