Lanterne rouge

Lanterne rouge
SportRoad bicycle racing
CompetitionTour de France
Awarded forLast in classification
English nameRed lantern
Local nameLanterne rouge (French)
History
First award1903
Editions110 (as of 2023)
First winner Arsène Millocheau (FRA)
Most wins Wim Vansevenant (BEL) (3 times)
Most recent Mark Cavendish (GBR)

The lanterne rouge (French pronunciation: [lɑ̃tɛʁn ʁuʒ]) is the competitor in last place in the Tour de France. The phrase comes from the French for "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the rear vehicle of a passenger railway train or the brake van of a freight train, which signalmen would look for in order to make sure none of the couplings had become disconnected.[1]

  1. ^ Strickland, Bill. "The Tour's Master of Last Place". The Wall Street Journal, 25 July 2008.