The Official Lanterne Rouge Thread 2025 [spoilers]

[ebikeerwidnes]

I wonder if it is possible - or has ever been done - for someone to win the Green Jersey (or polka dot for that matter) AND the Lanterne Rouge in the same race??

It would be a great achievement if it was done!

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

I wonder if it is possible - or has ever been done - for someone to win the Green Jersey (or polka dot for that matter) AND the Lanterne Rouge in the same race??

It would be a great achievement if it was done!

I don't think it's ever actually been done, but Mark Cavendish was on the podium in 2021. A couple of minutes would have been enough for second, first would have required a DNF.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

It'd be really easy to assume the lanterne is dominated by riders who are crocked or ill, and in both cases victims of misfortune, but Bol's a really good example of another sort - he gets through an enormous amount of unshowy work and then shuts down and saves energy by rolling in gently. One of the things I love about this thread is that you get to notice and appreciate guys like that.

If you consider that he's often been on lead-out duties as well it's even more remarkable. Without those finishes with the sprinters he'd have been a shoe-in most years.

 

[KingstonGraham]

If you consider that he's often been on lead-out duties as well it's even more remarkable. Without those finishes with the sprinters he'd have been a shoe-in most years.

He did spend time as Astana's actual sprinter, specialising in going too early and getting passed. Then as a final man in the leadout, which I thought (given the above) would have been perfect, but alas, not so.

Great that he's found his role.

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

He did spend time as Astana's actual sprinter, specialising in going too early and getting passed. Then as a final man in the leadout, which I thought (given the above) would have been perfect, but alas, not so.

Great that he's found his role.

Without any actual proof, I wonder if part of his usefulness is simply at negotiating the peloton all day as a bodyguard. Big overlap with sprinting skills in terms of finding the gaps etc

 

[KingstonGraham]

Without any actual proof, I wonder if part of his usefulness is simply at negotiating the peloton all day as a bodyguard. Big overlap with sprinting skills in terms of finding the gaps etc

Agreed - he's been to 6 tours, that doesn't happen by accident.

Came damn close to winning a stage in 2020, just outgunned by van Aert.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Without any actual proof, I wonder if part of his usefulness is simply at negotiating the peloton all day as a bodyguard. Big overlap with sprinting skills in terms of finding the gaps etc

Part of the overlap with sprinting skills when acting as a bodyguard:
Weight: 83kg
Height: 1.94m

He's a bloody big old unit. In old money that's 6'4" and 13 stone.

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

Part of the overlap with sprinting skills when acting as a bodyguard:
Weight: 83kg
Height: 1.94m

He's a bloody big old unit. In old money that's 6'4" and 13 stone.

That's a lot of wind to hide behind.

Was thinking the same about Fodorov yesterday, who looked like a father taking his kids out for a ride when the break went.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

That's a lot of wind to hide behind.

Was thinking the same about Fodorov yesterday, who looked like a father taking his kids out for a ride when the break went.

Weight: 80kg
Height: 1.93m

Honestly, if you saw the two of them together and were asked what sport they played, you'd probably reckon they were football center-backs


Size estimates are from PCS obviously, take with a pinch of salt.

 

[Beebo]

It’s tricky day to boost your lantern rouge standings with such a slow pace.
How can you convincingly fall off the back?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

It’s tricky day to boost your lantern rouge standings with such a slow pace.
How can you convincingly fall off the back?

With no break to chase it's going to be hard to argue convincingly that you've done your work today and can knock off early. Your best chance will maybe be a minor spill in the closing 20km, or go back for bottles just before the Cat 4 climb and get dropped "due to the extra weight, boss". Other than that, shove a musette in the back wheel for a bike change at an inopportune moment?

Oh and a reminder to Lanterne hopefuls - 5km rule will apply today, so make sure you get dropped before that.

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

Oh and a reminder to Lanterne hopefuls - 5km rule will apply today, so make sure you get dropped before that.

Only applies to mechanicals and accidents. Given the lack of racing today, and hence excuses for breaks to form off the back, I'm expecting Bol to increase his lead - as soon as the trains start forming it's his chance to sit up and freewheel the last few km, and we know Astana are more than happy for their riders to target LR.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Only applies to mechanicals and accidents.

While this is true, you still risk having to convince the commies that you weren't held up by a crash. You could accidentally get caught up in one, and then no matter how slow you go your time is set. It's a very dangerous situation for a Lanterne contender and should be avoided at all costs.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Apparently nobody brushed up on tactics for this stage, as 178 riders took ten bonus seconds on wrong-end first over the line Tim Merlier, but nobody could squeeze even a single second out of the bunch. Merlier, Milan and Bauhaus the day's losers, but they'll be relieved they satisfied their DSs without sacrificing more than the bonus seconds.

It's believed that Lanterne Contender Cees Bol hit the deck hard in the final bend - hopefully hurt just enough to give him an advantage tomorrow but not so bad he has to abandon

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

Not much else for me to say after that, really... Do I need my own "Should LR swallow his pride and retire" thread?