“It was a challenge each and every day to make it to the finish.” - Lawson Craddock
The lanterne rouge takes its name from the red lantern that used to hang on the back of trains, which showed conductors that the train was complete and no carriages had become disconnected.
In Tour de France, 'the lanterne rouge' is the rider in last place.
It has never been an official classification - there’s no jersey or a special-color number, no podium ceremony.
But among fans and some riders, it’s an honor.
It’s the idea that this guy has been forgotten and that we should reward his persistence, determination and courage.
Most sport is binary.
We talk about winners and losers, and not much in between.
I know, winners take it all.
They are in the spotlight and they get one accolade after another.
After twenty-one stages and over 2,000 miles of racing, Geraint Thomas was crowned the 2018 Tour de France winner.
He won, I get it.
The true hero I respect, admire & look up to is somebody else, though.
A rider I watched in awe was Lawson Craddock.
On the back of his Tour jersey, he followed racing tradition by pinning his No. 13 race number upside down – hoping to flip any purported bad luck.
All in vain.
Early in Stage 1, he crashed hard, gashed his forehead, scraped his body and, worst of all, he broke his arm.
I repeat that.
He BROKE his arm.
So what did he do?
He got up, got on his bike and finished.
Just like that.
Last, but still, he finished the stage.
And every day since that first day, he did the same.
He finished.
Always the last.
It's the first time a single rider has been the lanterne rouge for the entire Tour.
Lawson has ridden nearly all of the Tour's 2,082 miles with his injury.
That includes 26 climbs up mountains or hills.
What made his feat even more impressive was that he took nothing stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol to kill the pain.
After one stage that was built around 13.5 miles of infamously bumpy and slippery cobblestones, Lawson tweeted:
"Suffering like I've never suffered before.” -Lawson Craddock
No one would have blamed him for calling it a Tour after the horror crash but I guess, they make ’em tough in Texas, right?
What was on his mind while he was on the saddle pedaling?
How did it feel to be alone lagging far behind the pack?
How did he manage to summon his strengths and move forward?
Was he cursing here and there?
All the time?
Did he shed a tear when he was pushed to limits?
Well, in Texan style, he was thinking big.
Not just riding and competing, but fighting for his charity cause.
The Alkek Velodrome in Houston was flooded and badly damaged during Hurricane Harvey in September 2017 and Lawson decided to raise the money to assist in restoring the outdoor track, hoping that others might join him in the fundraising effort.
As he reached Paris, that figure stood at $195K, as others had indeed been inspired by his story of suffering over the three weeks.
Lawson is a living proof that when you know your WHY, when you understand why you do what you do and how your WHY can make the world a better place, you keep moving forward.
Even if it means going through hell.
'It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog’ said Mark Twain.
Lawson's fight was remarkable and watching him was a privilege.
He showed everyone what the champion’s mindset is.
He fought tooth and nail.
That’s the spirit of the lanterne rouge.
His travails in becoming the first rider in the Tour’s 105-year existence to occupy last position during all 21 stages of the race are a sharp reminder that there is glory in struggle and savage defeat.
He may be 145th, but, remember, 176 riders started the Tour.
Just by finishing, he’s outlasted 31 who crashed out, dropped out, or were time cut.
He proved that coming last in style is a victory in itself.
For that, I salute him.
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