With the 2008 Tour de France wrapping up this past Sunday with a fabulous victory by Carlos Sastre of Spain, there’s a back-story about Wim Vansevenant. Vansevenant, a Belgian rider on Silence Lotto, succeeded in winning his third ‘Laterne Rouge’ — the Tour’s “prize” for coming in dead last in the standings. The Journal ran a story about Vansevenant after the 18th stage:
The designation falls somewhere between insult and accolade. Mr. Vansevenant, who after Stage 18 sits in 150th place, some 3 hours and 45 minutes behind Mr. Sastre, is indeed the worst-placed rider in the Tour de France. But, in turn, he has outlasted those who abandoned the Tour through illness, injury or simple exhaustion; those who were eliminated for failing to finish within each day’s time limit and are forced to withdraw; and those who were banned or withdrew for doping-related causes. From year to year, about 20% of the riders drop out. In other words, you can’t simply coast to last place; you have to work for it.
The term ‘Laterne Rouge’ is a French phrase, which translates to “red lantern.” The Journal reports the terminology is borrowed from railway jargon for the archaic practice of hanging a red light on the caboose of trains, which assured station operators that no cars had come uncoupled.
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