Who is the Tour de France Lanterne Rouge?

Founder, Mr. Mamil
Updated:
Caleb Ewan 2022 Tour de France Lanterne Rouge
Caleb Ewan, the 2022 Tour de France Lanterne Rouge

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 finishes after the cut-off time will be expelled.

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 Rouge, 1903 to 2022

Only five riders in history 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)
YearRiderNationality
2022Caleb EwanAustralia
2021Tim DeclercqBelgium
2020Roger KlugeGermany
2019Sebastian LangeveldNetherlands
2018Lawson CraddockUnited States
2017Luke RoweGreat Britain
2016Sam BennettIreland
2015Sébastien ChavanelFrance
2014Ji ChengChina
2013Svein TuftCanada
2012Jimmy EngoulventFrance
2011Fabio SabatiniItaly
2010Adriano MaloriItaly
2009Yauheni HutarovichBelarus
2008Wim VansevenantBelgium
2007Wim VansevenantBelgium
2006Wim VansevenantBelgium
2005Iker FloresSpain
2004Jimmy CasperFrance
2003Hans De ClercqBelgium
2002Igor FloresSpain
2001Jimmy CasperFrance
2000Olivier PerraudeauFrance
1999Jacky DurandFrance
1998Damien NazonFrance
1997Philippe GaumontFrance
1996Jean-Luc MasdupuyFrance
1995Bruno CornilletFrance
1994John TalenNetherlands
1993Edwig Van HooydonckBelgium
1992Fernando QuevedoSpain
1991Rob HarmelingNetherlands
1990Rodolfo MassiItaly
1989Mathieu HermansNetherlands
1988Dirk WayenbergBelgium
1987Mathieu HermansNetherlands
1986Ennio SalvadorItaly
1985Manrico RonchiatoItaly
1984Gilbert GlausSwitzerland
1983Marcel LaurensBelgium
1982Werner DevosBelgium
1981Faustino CuelliSpain
1980Gerhard SchönbacherAustria
1979Gerhard SchönbacherAustria
1978Philippe TesnièreFrance
1977Roger LoyschBelgium
1976Aad van den HoekNetherlands
1975Jacques BoulasFrance
1974Lorenzo AlaimoItaly
1973Jacques-André HochartFrance
1972Alain BellouisFrance
1971Georges ChappeFrance
1970Frits HoogerheideNetherlands
1969André WilhelmFrance
1968John ClareyGreat Britain
1967Jean-Pierre GenetFrance
1966Paolo MannucciItaly
1965Joseph GroussardFrance
1964Anatole NovakFrance
1963Willy DerbovenBelgium
1962Augusto MarcalettiItaly
1961André GenesteFrance
1960José Herrero BerrenderoSpain
1959Louis BisilliatFrance
1958Walter FavreSwitzerland
1957Guy MillionFrance
1956Roger ChaussabelFrance
1955Tony HoarGreat Britain
1954Marcel DierkensLuxembourg
1953Claude RouerFrance
1952Henri ParetFrance
1951Abdel-Kader ZaafFrance
1950Fritz ZbindenSwitzerland
1949Guido De SantiItaly
1948Vittorio SeghezzItaly
1947Pietro TarchiniSwitzerland
1939Armand Le MoalFrance
1938Janus HellemonsNetherlands
1937Aloyse KlenschLuxembourg
1936Aldo BertoccoFrance
1935Willy KutschbachGermany
1934Antonio FolcoItaly
1933Ernest NeuhardFrance
1932Rudolf RischGermany
1931Richard LambAustralia
1930Marcel IlpideFrance
1929André LégerFrance
1928Edouard PersinFrance
1927Jacques PfisterFrance
1926André DrobecqFrance
1925Fernand BesnierFrance
1924Victor LafosseFrance
1923Daniel MassonFrance
1922Daniel MassonFrance
1921Henri CatelanFrance
1920Charles RaboissonFrance
1919Jules NemponFrance
1914Henri LeclercFrance
1913Henri AlavoineFrance
1912Maurice LartigueFrance
1911Lucien RoquebertFrance
1910Constant ColletFrance
1909Georges DevillyFrance
1908Henri AnthoineFrance
1907Albert ChartierFrance
1906Georges BronchardFrance
1905Clovis LacroixFrance
1904Antoine DeflotrièreFrance
1903Arsène MillocheauFrance
Tour de France Lanterne Rouge, 1903 to present
Alex Lee at Mr.Mamil

Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.

He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.