Friday, July 06, 2007
The race to be last
Interesting quote today in The Independent, though (unfortunately) I think it's no longer accurate in today's Tour:
"LANTERNE MEANS LAST"
"If you can't win the Tour, then the next best thing is to come last. At least that's the philosophy among the also-rans of the peloton, for whom the position of lanterne rouge (red lamp) has become a highly sought-after means of publicity. Initially, any rider who came in last overall after the second stage was kicked out of the race, but in the 1950s the idea of acknowledging riders who struggled honourably to complete the Tour without abandoning or finishing outside the time limit gained in popularity. The race to be last can often eclipse the battle for the yellow jersey, with riders in the frame vying with each other to see who could go slowest without being expelled for exceeding the time limit."
"LANTERNE MEANS LAST"
"If you can't win the Tour, then the next best thing is to come last. At least that's the philosophy among the also-rans of the peloton, for whom the position of lanterne rouge (red lamp) has become a highly sought-after means of publicity. Initially, any rider who came in last overall after the second stage was kicked out of the race, but in the 1950s the idea of acknowledging riders who struggled honourably to complete the Tour without abandoning or finishing outside the time limit gained in popularity. The race to be last can often eclipse the battle for the yellow jersey, with riders in the frame vying with each other to see who could go slowest without being expelled for exceeding the time limit."
Labels: history
