Jean Dargassies

Jean Dargaties, known as Jean Dargassies (born Grisolles, Tarn-et-Garonne, France, 15 July 1872, died Grisolles, 7 August 1965) was a French racing cyclist who rode the first Tour de France because the man who sold him a bike told him he ought to. He rode it three times, coming 11th in 1903 and fourth in 1904. In 1907 he was part of Henri Pepin's experimental team that 'voyaged' rather than 'raced' its way around France.

Background Jean Dargassies was a blacksmith in the village of Grisolles, north of Toulouse. The town's main industry was broom-making. The forge was at 4 avénue de la République. He was "not very tall but well built, with thighs and calves like the pillars of a cathedral." He had a spreading blond moustache. In a picture of the forge, he is posing beside a horse, a broad leather belt round his waist, a hammer in his hand. His mother wears an ankle-length striped dress and a bonnet. Two other men in the family, probably his brothers, are also there. All four are wearing wooden clogs. Dargassies wrote to L'Auto to say he wanted to take part. By the days before the start, he had heard nothing. He went to Paris anyway to meet the race director, Géo Lefèvre. There were few entrants from the south and Lefèvre, a Parisian, was entranced by Dargassie's country ways and his marked southern accent. He recounted the meeting in L'Auto: "My name is Dargassies and I've come from Grisolles." "Where?" "From Grisolles, near Montauban, and I've come to make inquiries." "About?" "Inquiries about the Tour de France." "But... You're already entered, I think. "Heavens, yes, [pardi], I've entered! I just wanted to know what's going to happen." "You haven't read L'Auto?" L'Auto? I don't think anyone reads that in Monnetaubanne.'''" (Lefèvre took pleasure in reproducing Dargassie's pronounce-every-letter southern accent.) "Where?" "Monnetaubanne'', Tarn-et-Garonne." "Oh, Montauban!" "Yes. The man who sold me my bike told me there was a Tour de France race and he said: 'Dargaties, you're made for that.'"

Dargaties was the blacksmith's real name. Lefèvre misheard it. Jean Dargaties became known as Jean Dargassies. Lefèvre reported: "The whole of Grisolles is by the side of the road. They're here to see Dargassies, the champion of the region. When he rode by, every voice shouted in encouragement, in a long avenue of people all the way to Montauban." The two made a deal that Dargassies and another rider, Henri Gauban, would pace Pépin round the 1907 event. Instead of racing, they would take their time, stop at good restaurants, spend the night in the best hotels they could find. He died 1965, when he was 93. He is buried in the town's cemetery under his original name, Dargaties. Schools are named after him in Eaunes, Haute-Garonne and at nearby Portet-sur-Garonne. His bike is in the town museum at Montauban.

Palmarès 1903 - 11th Tour de France 1904 - 2nd Bordeaux-Paris 1904 - 4th Tour de France

Teams

1903: Gladiator (France) 1904: Gladiator 1905: Alcyon - Dunlop (France) 1906: Unknown 1907: Unknown