tcs

It's a delicate dance. You have to be consistantly one of the slowest riders without ever having a bad (even worse than usual) day and getting timed out on a stage. The reward is interviews and fame in Paris and one of the most lucative payouts for post Tour criterium appearances.

With stage 8 in the bag and coming into the first rest day, last year's Lanterne Rouge*, 35 year old Belgian Wim Vansevenant, has moved into the lead for the "red jersey". (Of course, the last place rider doesn't really get to wear a special red jersey - that's just a popular Tour myth.) In a stunning second (to last!) place in the Lanterne Rouge competition is American Dave Zabriskie, holder of the record for fastest Tour TT ever! Multiple stage winner Thor Hushovd is easily in grasp of the Lanterne himself, just five and a half minutes off (ahead of) the pace.

With two big time trials to come, it really doesn't look favorable for Zabriskie's hopes (fears). I'd have to say that the experienced Vansevenant (who cemented last year's honor by getting dropped from the peloton racing up and down the Champs Elysées) is looking good (bad) to repete.

TCS

*"Red lantern", like the one hung on the back of the last car of a train.

"The Lanterne Rouge is not a position you go for. It comes for you." Wim Vansevenant, 2006

CyLowe97

I think Zabriskie's gunning for last....

171 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 1.14.40
172 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 1.17.14


Go DZ!! Get them apples!

meb

Have we ever had an American Lanterne Rouge?

DZ could be a trailblazer inspiring aspiring Americans!

merlinextraligh

Won't DZ's desire to do well in the TT's derail his Latern Rouge aspirations?

CyLowe97

Yeah, but you know he's contemplating soft pedaling the TT just to mess with everyone.

jschen

roadgator

I could understand taking it easy in the mountains, but he was also dropping out the back in the last Km's of the flat stages too. i hope he has the form to burn up the TT's and isn't just trying to limp through the tour.

tcs

One of the cool things about the individual time trials is that the Lanterne Rouge gets to start first. The crowd lining the roads has been primed by the caravan, and then small boys on the top of houses shout down "Here comes the first rider!" "Allez, Lanterne Rouge! Allez!" He finishes and for a short time the leader board reads:

1. Vansevenant
2. ---
3. ---

Wim covered the course at 37.7 km/hr - that's 23.3mph American. Not so shabby for a solo 54km ride over two climbs (one a cat 4) and good for 119th place on the day. He's still got a comfortable 4:59 trail on the next to last rider, he doesn't seem to be fatigued, we have three big days in the mountains coming up and we could well be looking a our Paris Lanterne Rouge.

Best,
TCS

Bullseye

Yeah, though it seems like this would be a really good way to get eliminated if the leader puts in an amazing time!

-bullseye

tcs

Can Lepheimer take a minute out of Evans in the time trial and get on the podium? Oh, whatever!

The autobus didn't drop any stragglers in the final mountain stage, and Vansevenant finished a comfortable 145th on the day.

Wim is a fair time trialist, but he'll never put 3 minutes on second-to-last place countryman Nick Nuyens - a pretty fair time trialist himself - during stage 19's 55km.

It's never over until the fat lady sings, but it looks like Vansevenant will be making a lot of criterium appearances in August.

TCS

tcs

Huge, huge day for our boy Wim!

There were a couple no-shows for today's stage at the back of the classification, and on course he got dropped by the autobus. In fact, he got dropped by the other stragglers, and finished stage 17 dead last, in 141st place.

This runs Vansevenant's Lanterne Rouge cushion up to nearly 6 minutes over the 140th place rider, Briton Thomas Geraint.

Allez, Lanterne Rouge! See you in Paris!

TCS

ElJamoquio

Assuming, of course, he finishes first.

meb

So which events have the lucky promoters signed Vansevenant to?
Will Vansevenant defend in 08 in his quest to be the first man to threepeat the Lanterne Rougue?
He’s already in select company as one of only five to take Lanterne Rougue in Paris plural times.
And Lance must now be trembling knowing that his Tour 7-straight might be overshadowed by some shooting for 8 straight red.
And he has become an inspiration to cycling’s geriatric set showing that it is still possible for someone over 35 to win a jersey in Le Tour.

But hark, in a Tour with its share of positive tests, are there any worries the man in red might be one of the men in black?
Wm has raised a few eyebrows by creeping over nine minutes closer to the Maillot Jaune than in 2006.
Wm take a move from Olga Shchukina of Uzbekistan (https://www.mcwetboy.net/dfl/daily/20...1_archive.html )?
Wm, please say it isn’t so, for what would members of the Vansevenant Fan Club due with our Wm image embossed red lycra?

JPradun

^-lol