André Darrigade

André Darrigade (born 24 April 1929 in Narrosse) is a retired French professional road bicycle racer between 1951 and 1966. Darrigade, a road sprinter won the 1959 World Championship and 22 stages of the Tour de France. Five of those Tour victories were on opening days, a record tied by Fabian Cancellara in 2012 (who won 4 prologues and an individual time trial in 2009).

Early life and amateur career
André Darrigade was born at Narrosse, near Dax in the forested Landes region. He came to attention at the other end of the country and on the track by beating the future world sprint champion, Antonio Maspes in a meeting at the Vélodrome d'Hiver the night before the Six Days of Paris race there.

His name immediately appealed to northern crowds. René de Latour said: "It is a very 'musical' name to [northern] French ears, especially when pronounced by a southerner who rolls his Rs like a Scotsman to make it sound like Darrrrrigade. De Latour said:


 * André Darrigade is heavily built and would have made a good football centre forward. He has blond hair, clear eyes, rosy cheeks, and is a bit on the shy side. When we first saw him in Paris soon after the war finished he was a novice, not a roadman at all. He had come to the big city to ride in the final of the famous Médaille race at the Vélodrome d'Hiver. When he arrived at the Vélodrome d'Hiver, he had no soigneur, no dressing gown, nobody to hold him up at the start, pump his tyres or adjust his position to suit the high, frightening bankings. He was lonely — but courageous. And guess who was his principal victim — Antonio Maspes!

Darrigade stayed in Paris and joined one of its leading clubs, the Vélo-Club d'Asnières-Courbevoie, at the invitation of Francis Pélissier, the former professional who was one of its officials. Darrigade rode again on the track at the Vél' d'Hiv, winning madisons and sprints, and won four races on the road. He turned professional in 1951 for a salary that barely covered his rent.

Professional career
Raphaël Géminiani said: "Darrigade was the greatest French sprinter of all time and he'll stay that way for a long time. The mould has been broken. But he wasn't just a sprinter. He was an animateur who could start decisive breaks; he destroyed the image of sprinters who just sit on wheels." He began his sprints from a long distance from the line, challenging others to pass him. It endeared him to the French public, said de Latour.

Darrigade wore 19 yellow jerseys and won 22 stages. He won the opening stage of the Tour de France in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1961. Darrigade lost time in the mountains and his best final positions were 16th in 1956, 1959 and 1960.

In single-day races, he won the national championship in 1955 on the famous Boucles de l'Aulne in Châteaulin, beating a Louison Bobet at the top of his career (reigning world champion and winner of the Tour de France 1953, 1954 and 1955). He won the 1956 Giro di Lombardia, beating the Campionissimo Fausto Coppi in front of his home crowd at the Milan velodrome. A fortnight later he beat Coppi again to win the Trofeo Baracchi with Rolf Graf. He won the world championship in Zandvoort on 16 August 1959, dominating a breakaway of eight riders, ahead of the Italian Michele Gismondi and the Belgian Noël Foré.

Darrigade was at his best in the middle of the season and the spring races were too early and those in autumn too late. He did, however, come fourth in the 1957 Paris–Roubaix, third in the 1958 Milan–San Remo and second in Paris–Brussels in 1960.

He said: "I was always considered a team man. I never had any pretensions to be anything else. In the days when the Tour had national teams, Marcel Bidot [the manager] always saw me as just that. Those wins never became dull or routine. Each one was an immense pleasure. What's more, I had the chance to race alongside such great champions as Louison Bobet and Jacques Anquetil." He was close to Anquetil, whom he called "bizarrely calm." He said: "Quite often, I had to say to him, 'If you don't get going, you'll lose the Tour."

On 19 July 1958 the Tour finished at the Parc des Princes in western Paris. The 70-year-old sécrétaire-général of the stadium, Constant Wouters ran across the grass in the centre of the ground to prevent photographers encroaching on the track. The journalists hid the riders and Wouters from each other and Darrigade rode into Wouters as he stepped onto the track. Darrigade was lifted from his bike and turned round and Wouters thrown into the air. Both fell heavily and were taken to hospital. Wouters was treated at the nearby Boucicaut medical centre but died on 31 July. Darrigade cracked his skull and broke ribs. He was able to return before the end of the meeting to take a lap of honour.

Honours and personal life
When Darrigade retired from cycle racing he ran a newspaper shop in Biarritz. On retiring for good, André became an ardent fan of Biarritz Olympique, the town's rugby team, with his friend Albaladejo. A stadium (Stade Omnisports André Darrigade) in Dax is named after Darrigade.

On 12 July 2017, a 6 metre tall statue, designed by "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" Guy Pendanx, was unveiled in Darrigade's honour in Narrosse. Darrigade's brother, Roger, six years younger, also rode as a professional. In 1955, both brothers were French national champions, André as a professional and Roger as an amateur. André Darrigade has two sons and two grandson and is an officer of the Légion d'honneur.

Major results

 * 1949
 * Winner of La Médaille
 * Champion of Paris of Military Speed
 * 1st Grand Prix d'automne de vitesse
 * 2nd French Military Championship


 * 1950
 * 1st Grand Prix de Boulogne
 * 1st Grand Prix de Paris-Beauvais
 * 1st Prix des oeuvres sociales à Daumesnil
 * 1st Critérium des vainqueurs
 * 3rd Paris-Dolhain


 * 1951
 * Bordeaux-Saintes
 * 1st Grand Prix des Alliés in Joinville
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Uza
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Eckbolsheim
 * 1st Grand Prix de Castelnau-Magnoac
 * 1st Grand Prix de Mirande-Astarac
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Albret
 * 2nd Grand Prix du Courrier picard
 * 2nd Grand Prix de l'Écho d'Alger


 * 1952
 * 1st Stage Paris-Saint Etienne
 * 1st Stage Paris-Côte d'Azur
 * 1st Stage 10 Tour d'Algérie
 * 1st Grand Prix du Mans
 * 1st Grand Prix du Boucau
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Issoire
 * 1st Circuit des 2 Ponts
 * 3rd Critérium des As
 * 6th Paris–Tours


 * 1953
 * 1st Stage 12 Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 6 Tour du Sud-Est
 * 1st Prix d'Arras
 * 1st La Rochelle-Angoulême
 * 1st Circuit de la Chalosse
 * 2nd Paris–Bourges


 * 1954
 * 1st Overall Tour de Picardie
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st Grand Prix du Pneumatique
 * 1st Grand Prix de la Marseillaise
 * 1st Grand Prix du Tour
 * 1st Critérium de Bordeaux
 * 1st Critérium de Montlhéry
 * 3rd Roue d'Or à Daumesnil


 * 1955
 * 1st MaillotFra.PNG Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st Stage 6 Tour de France
 * 1st Grand Prix de l'Écho d'Alger
 * 1st Stage 3 Trois jours d'Anvers
 * 1st Critérium de Bordeaux
 * 1st Critérium de Montlhéry
 * 1st Critérium de Napoli
 * 1st Grand Prix de Mont-de-Marsan
 * 1st Grand Prix de Charlieu
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Issoire
 * 2nd Second Time Trial Team Barcelona Mediterranean Games
 * 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Jacques Anquetil)


 * 1956
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 1
 * Jersey red number.svg Combativity award Overall
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after 6 Stages
 * 1st Giro di Lombardia
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Rolf Graf)
 * 1st Critérium d'Amiens
 * 1st Critérium de Beverloo
 * 1st Grand Prix de Brigueil-le-Chantre
 * 1st Grand Prix de Moulins-Engelbert
 * 2nd Paris-Limoges
 * 2nd Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 2nd Grand Prix de l'Écho d'Alger
 * 3rd Circuit de l'Aulne


 * 1957
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Stages 1, 3a, 21 & 22
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after Stage 1
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour de Romandie
 * 1st Six Days of Paris (with Jacques Anquetil and Ferdinando Terruzzi)
 * 1st Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Europe (team time trial)
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Orchies
 * 1st Grand Prix de Ravennes
 * 1st Grand Prix de Vergt
 * 1st Grand Prix de Sant-Denis
 * 1st Grand Prix de Chalon-sur-Saône
 * 1st Grand Prix de Scaer
 * 2nd Critérium des As
 * 2nd Grand Prix d'Issoire
 * 3rd Bronze medal uci.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 4th Paris–Roubaix
 * 6th Giro di Lombardia
 * 7th Bordeaux–Paris
 * 8th Tour de Romandie
 * 9th Milan San–Remo


 * 1958
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Stages 1, 9, 15, 17 & 22
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after 5 Stages
 * 1st Six Days of Paris (with Jacques Anquetil and Ferdinando Terruzzi)
 * 1st Paris-Valenciennes
 * 1st Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 1st Stage 1 Four Days of Dunkirk
 * 1st Stage 2 GP Marvan (team time trial)
 * 1st Critérium d'Alger
 * 1st Critérium des Essarts
 * 1st Critérium de Londerzeel
 * 1st Critérium de Guecho
 * 1st Grand Prix de Boulogne
 * 1st Grand Prix de Montceau-les-Mines
 * 1st Grand Prix de Guerêt
 * 1st Grand Prix de Rouen
 * 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 2nd Critérium des As
 * 3rd Bronze medal uci.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 3rd Milan–San Remo
 * 3rd Four Days of Dunkirk
 * 6th Paris–Tours


 * 1959
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 1 & 11
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after 2 Stages
 * 1st Critérium International
 * 1st Trophée Longines (team time trial, with Jacques Anquetil, Seamus Elliott, Jean Graczyk and Michel Vermeulin)
 * 1st Critérium de Barcelone
 * 1st Critérium de Dublin
 * 1st Grand Prix de Veyrac
 * 1st Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Roger Rivière, Louison Bobet and Roger Hassenforder)
 * 2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Gerrit Schulte)
 * 3rd Trophée Baracchi (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 3rd Prestige Pernod
 * 6th Giro di Lombardia
 * 9th Super Prestige Pernod


 * 1960
 * 1st Stage 5 Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 15 Giro d'Italia
 * Tour de Romandie
 * 1st Stages 2 & 4a
 * 1st Stage 6a Paris–Nice
 * 1st Manx Trophy
 * 1st Stage 5 Gênes-Rome
 * 1st Critérium d'Arras
 * 1st Grand Prix de Quillan
 * 2nd Silver medal uci.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 2nd Critérium des As
 * 2nd Brussels Cycling Classic
 * 2nd Circuit du Trégor
 * 2nd Prestige Pernod
 * 2nd Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Jacques Anquetil)
 * 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 3rd Trophée Longines
 * 3rd Circuit de l'Aulne
 * 10th Tour de Romandie


 * 1961
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 1a, 2, 13 & 20
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after Stage 1a
 * 1st Stage 1 Critérium du Dauphiné
 * 1st Stage 2 Paris–Nice
 * 1st Grand Prix du Parisien
 * 1st Critérium de Daumesnil
 * 1st Critérium de Narbonne
 * 1st Grand Prix de Magny-Cours
 * 1st Grand Prix de La Bastide d'Armagnac
 * 1st Grand Prix de Rousies
 * 1st Grand Prix de la Ronde du Parc à Montélimar
 * 1st Grand Prix de Nogaro
 * 1st Grand Prix de Plougasnou
 * 1st Grand Prix de la Ville de Figeac
 * 2nd Critérium International
 * 2nd Manx Trophy
 * 3rd Critérium des As
 * 3rd Circuit de l'Aulne
 * 8th Milan–San Remo


 * 1962
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 2a
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after 4 Stages
 * 1st Stage 3b Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
 * Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
 * 1st Stages 6 & 8
 * 1st Grand Prix d'Aix
 * 1st Grand Prix de Caen
 * 1st Grand Prix de Beaumont en Périgord
 * 1st Grand Prix de Lalinde
 * 1st Grand Prix de Dax
 * 2nd Grand Prix de la Trinité
 * 3nd Circuit de l'Aulne
 * 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 * 6th Trofeo Baracchi (with Joseph Velly)


 * 1963
 * 1st Stage 12 Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 6 Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour du Sud-Est
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour du Var
 * 1st Grand Prix de Lalinde
 * 1st Grand Prix de Vichy
 * 1st Grand Prix de Miramont
 * 1st Grand Prix de la Ronde de Camors
 * 2nd Grand Prix du Parisien
 * 3rd Gênes-Nice
 * 3rd Six Days of Montréal (with Willi Altig)
 * 3rd Roue d'Or à Daumesnil (with Jean Stablinski)
 * 4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 6th Critérium des As


 * 1964
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Stages 2 & 18
 * Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
 * 1st Stages 8b & 9b
 * 1st Stage 5 Paris–Nice
 * 1st Genoa–Nice
 * 1st Grand Prix de La Bastide d'Armagnac
 * 1st Grand Prix de Château-Chinon
 * 1st Grand Prix de Guêret
 * 1st Grand Prix Lalinde
 * 1st Grand Prix de Caen
 * 1st Stage 3 Circuit provençal


 * 1965
 * 1st Grand Prix de Trélissac
 * 1st Grand Prix de Miramont
 * 4th Grand Prix du Parisien
 * 6th Six Days of Antwerp


 * 1966
 * 1st Ronde de Monaco
 * 1st Grand Prix de Maurs
 * 1st Grand Prix de Brioude