# André Darrigade

André Darrigade (born 24 April 1929) 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.

## Career achievements
### 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 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
       Combativity award Overall
       Held 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 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 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 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 Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    3rd Milan–San Remo
    3rd Four Days of Dunkirk
    6th Paris–Tours

#### 1959

    1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    Tour de France
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 1 & 11
       Held 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 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 Points classification
       1st Stages 1a, 2, 13 & 20
       Held 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 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

### Major championships timeline

| Event | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |
| World Championships | — | — | 17 | — | DNF | 13 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | DNF | 16 | 4 | DNF | — | — |
| National Championships | — | 36 | — | 15 | 1 | 21 | 10 | DNF | 7 | 3 | 14 | — | 13 | 11 | 29 | 22 |

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour de France | — | — | 37 | 49 | 49 | 16 | 27 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 21 | DNF | 66 | 93 | 62 |
| Vuelta a España | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career |

### Classics results timeline

| Monument | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |
| Milan–San Remo | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 9 | 3 | 25 | — | 8 | — | 45 | 50 | — | 40 |
| Tour of Flanders | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 16 | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | 93 | 28 | — | — | 50 | — | 4 | 41 | 19 | 46 | 51 | 16 | 18 | 40 | 41 | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 22 | — | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |