2023-08-08 11:20:39
André Darrigade does not hide his emotion when he picks up his phone this Tuesday morning to discuss the death at 95 of Federico Bahamontes, “his friend”. The 94-year-old “Lévrier des Landes” knew the Spaniard well, with whom he raced in the Margnat-Paloma jersey between 1963 and 1965, for the last years on the Tour de l’Aigle de Tolède “. Darrigade, considered the greatest French sprinter in history with his 22 stage victories on the Grande Boucle, had a very different profile from Bahamontes, an exceptional climber, winner of the polka dot jersey six times. But he tells of his fascination and his friendship for the winner of the Tour in 1959.
Federico Bahamontes, who was it for you?
ANDRE DARRIGADE. He was a friend, really. I traveled a lot with him. I remember at times during the Tour de France he didn’t have a car and our manager put us together for the contract tours. We had a lot of memories together on the Tour.
You were teammates at Margnat-Paloma at the end of his career. On the roads of the Tour, how was he?
Yes, between 1963 and 1965 we raced together. And he could have won the Tour de France in 1964 (he came third behind Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor)! That year, we were trying to protect him with the team because we knew he could win the race. He really was a very, very good climber. Well, he didn’t have the biggest team with him but we were trying to help him.
He is one of the most outstanding climbers in the history of the Tour…
Ah, with Charly Gaul (the Luxembourgish winner of the Tour in 1958), it was a time, huh! The era of the great climbers… When he started in the mountains, no one could follow him. He descended less well, so his opponents could come back to him downhill, but uphill he was almost unbeatable.
“I don’t think you can compare it. He had his own style, he was special. Bahamontes was Bahamontes! »
What do you remember of his personality?
In any case, it was one, of personality! He was jovial, very jovial and talked a lot with the press. We laughed a lot together because he had a good character. Even if it was difficult because he didn’t speak French! He jabbered a few sentences to make himself understood, and I didn’t speak a word of Spanish so it was off to a bad start (laughs).
Did his character mark you?
Of course, on the roads of the Tour, first. Bahamontes, what he wanted, first, was to climb the mountains. So he had several opponents with whom he was struggling. (Julio) Jimenez, (Charly) Gaul… It was hard to follow. It was mainly aimed at the mountain stages, and the classification of the climbers. In terms of his character, who he is… I don’t think you can compare him. He had his own style, he was special. Bahamontes was Bahamontes!
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