So the grueling annual Tour de France just wrapped up and there was an interesting article about a rider winning the Lanterne Rouge for a third time in a row. Think of it as the polar opposite of getting the honorable yellow jersey:

“Wim Vansevenant, a Belgian riding for Silence Lotto (ninth on the nine-man squad) is the favorite to win his third Lanterne Rouge, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since the first official race in 1903. The French phrase, which translates to “red lantern,” is used to describe the racer who finishes dead last in the overall standings when the peloton reaches Paris.”

According to the WSJ, “the designation falls somewhere between insult and accolade,” although we’d have to argue wholeheartedly against it being the latter. |WSJ via Kottke|