Pierre Matignon

Matignon was 86th and last, three hours behind the leader. For much of the race he had competed not to win but to finish last, because the lanterne rouge - the back light of the race - often profited from sympathy in the contracts for round-the-houses races that followed the Tour. In that competition, he was challenged by André Wilhem of the rival Sonolor team. On the 20th day, from Brive to the summit of the Puy-de-Dôme near Clermont-Ferrand, Wilhem realised he could not go slower than Matignon and so he attacked right from the start.

Matignon finished the Tour 85th He rode once more, in 1972, and came 75th. He raced as a professional from 1969 to 1972 and died when he was 44.

Pierre Matignon was a little-known rider in the Frimatic-De Gribaldy team during the Tour de France of 1969. As an amateur he had won a stage in the 1962 Tour de l'Avenir, the shorter version of the Tour de France for amateurs and semi-professionals. He had a modest career apart from that, with second and third places and a win at Brigueuil-le-Chantre in 1966 He then turned professional for a team run by the former rider, Louis Caput, who entered him for the Tour de France in his first season.

The 1969 Tour de France had been an exceptional race and more than a third of the 130 starters had already dropped out by the 20th stage. Among those who had gone home were stars: they included Roger De Vlaeminck, Rik Van Looy and Luis Ocaña. The winner three years earlier, Lucien Aimar, was more than an hour behind. Jan Janssen, the winner in 1968, was at 48 minutes.

Pierre Matignon (born Verchers-sur-Layon, France, 11 February 1943 — died Saint-Michel-de-Chavaignes, 1 November 1987) was the French racing cyclist who held last place in the Tour de France but won one of its most prestigious stages alone.