Who is the Tour de France Lanterne Rouge?

Written by : Mr Mamil
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Tim Declercq, the 2021 Tour de France Lanterne Route

The Lanterne Rouge is an unofficial classification in the Tour de France. It refers to the rider in the last place on the General Classification.

It’s not easy to be the Lanterne Rouge as it requires a combination of smart timing calculation, tactics, grit, and determination to stay in the race. There is a cut-off time for the last rider to cross the finish line each day. Any rider who finished after the cut-off time will be expelled from the race.

In 2018, Lawson Craddock became the first rider to be the lanterne rouge for the entire Tour. He crashed hard on Stage 1, suffering facial lacerations and a fractured scapula. Instead of abandoning the race, he continued on, finishing within the cut-off time every day.

Tour de France Lanterne Rouges, 1903 to present

There are only five riders in history that finished last in the Tour de France on more than one occasion.

  • Wim Vansevenant (2006, 2007, 2008)
  • Jimmy Casper (2001, 2004)
  • Mathieu Hermans (1987, 1989)
  • Gerhard Schönbacher (1979, 1980)
  • Daniel Masson (1922, 1923)
YearLanterne rougeNationality
1903Arsène MillocheauFrance
1904Antoine DeflotrièreFrance
1905Clovis LacroixFrance
1906Georges BronchardFrance
1907Albert ChartierFrance
1908Henri AnthoineFrance
1909Georges DevillyFrance
1910Constant ColletFrance
1911Lucien RoquebertFrance
1912Maurice LartigueFrance
1913Henri AlavoineFrance
1914Henri LeclercFrance
1919Jules NemponFrance
1920Charles RaboissonFrance
1921Henri CatelanFrance
1922Daniel MassonFrance
1923Daniel MassonFrance
1924Victor LafosseFrance
1925Fernand BesnierFrance
1926André DrobecqFrance
1927Jacques PfisterFrance
1928Edouard PersinFrance
1929André LégerFrance
1930Marcel IlpideFrance
1931Richard LambAustralia
1932Rudolf RischGermany
1933Ernest NeuhardFrance
1934Antonio FolcoItaly
1935Willy KutschbachGermany
1936Aldo BertoccoFrance
1937Aloyse KlenschLuxembourg
1938Janus HellemonsNetherlands
1939Armand Le MoalFrance
1947Pietro TarchiniSwitzerland
1948Vittorio SeghezzItaly
1949Guido De SantiItaly
1950Fritz ZbindenSwitzerland
1951Abdel-Kader ZaafFrance
1952Henri ParetFrance
1953Claude RouerFrance
1954Marcel DierkensLuxembourg
1955Tony HoarGreat Britain
1956Roger ChaussabelFrance
1957Guy MillionFrance
1958Walter FavreSwitzerland
1959Louis BisilliatFrance
1960José Herrero BerrenderoSpain
1961André GenesteFrance
1962Augusto MarcalettiItaly
1963Willy DerbovenBelgium
1964Anatole NovakFrance
1965Joseph GroussardFrance
1966Paolo MannucciItaly
1967Jean-Pierre GenetFrance
1968John ClareyGreat Britain
1969André WilhelmFrance
1970Frits HoogerheideNetherlands
1971Georges ChappeFrance
1972Alain BellouisFrance
1973Jacques-André HochartFrance
1974Lorenzo AlaimoItaly
1975Jacques BoulasFrance
1976Aad van den HoekNetherlands
1977Roger LoyschBelgium
1978Philippe TesnièreFrance
1979Gerhard SchönbacherAustria
1980Gerhard SchönbacherAustria
1981Faustino CuelliSpain
1982Werner DevosBelgium
1983Marcel LaurensBelgium
1984Gilbert GlausSwitzerland
1985Manrico RonchiatoItaly
1986Ennio SalvadorItaly
1987Mathieu HermansNetherlands
1988Dirk WayenbergBelgium
1989Mathieu HermansNetherlands
1990Rodolfo MassiItaly
1991Rob HarmelingNetherlands
1992Fernando QuevedoSpain
1993Edwig Van HooydonckBelgium
1994John TalenNetherlands
1995Bruno CornilletFrance
1996Jean-Luc MasdupuyFrance
1997Philippe GaumontFrance
1998Damien NazonFrance
1999Jacky DurandFrance
2000Olivier PerraudeauFrance
2001Jimmy CasperFrance
2002Igor FloresSpain
2003Hans De ClercqBelgium
2004Jimmy CasperFrance
2005Iker FloresSpain
2006Wim VansevenantBelgium
2007Wim VansevenantBelgium
2008Wim VansevenantBelgium
2009Yauheni HutarovichBelarus
2010Adriano MaloriItaly
2011Fabio SabatiniItaly
2012Jimmy EngoulventFrance
2013Svein TuftCanada
2014Ji ChengChina
2015Sébastien ChavanelFrance
2016Sam BennettIreland
2017Luke RoweGreat Britain
2018Lawson CraddockUnited States
2019Sebastian LangeveldNetherlands
2020Roger KlugeGermany
2021Tim DeclercqBelgium
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