While Mauri has yet to make his Tour de France debut, the French Grand Tour is precisely where his father made a unique name for himself. Wim Vansevenant raced for Davitamon-Lotto (the direct predecessor to today’s Lotto-Intermarché team). Rather than fighting at the front of the peloton, Wim made his mark at the very back. He holds the record for finishing dead last in the Tour de France, securing the infamous lanterne rouge for three consecutive years in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
While not an “anti-climber” by any means, Vansevenant senior knew that claiming the final spot on the general classification guaranteed massive publicity and lucrative start contracts for the post-Tour criteriums.
His 2008 finish is particularly legendary. On the final stage on the Champs-Élysées, Austrian rider Bernard Eisel dropped back from the peloton, sitting just 53 seconds ahead of Vansevenant in the overall standings. Spotting the threat to his last-place crown, the Belgian rider hit the brakes and dropped back alongside Eisel to ensure his historic three-peat.