Jean Dotto
Full nameJean-Baptiste Dotto
Birth date27 March 1928
Birth placeSt-Nazaire, France
Death date20 February 2000 (aged 71)
Death placeOllioules, France
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
RidertypeClimber
Proyears 11948-1950
Proteam 1Independent (semi-professional)
Proyears 21950
Proteam 2Urago
Proyears 31951-1953
Proteam 3France Sport Dunlop
Proyears 41953
Proteam 4Magnat-Debon-Wolber
Proyears 51954
Proteam 5Magnat-Debon
Proyears 61954
Proteam 6Terrot-Hutchinson
Proyears 71955
Proteam 7Vampire d'Alessandro
Proyears 81956
Proteam 8St-Raphaël-Dunlop-Geminiani
Proyears 91957-1959
Proteam 9Liberia Hutchinson
Proyears 101960-1962
Proteam 10Liberia-Grammont
Proyears 111963
Proteam 11Margnat-Paloma
MajorwinsCritérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1952, 1960)
1955 Vuelta a España

Jean-Baptiste Dotto (27 March 1928, in St-Nazaire – 20 February 2000, in Ollioules, France[1]) was the first French racing cyclist to win the Vuelta a España. He rode the Tour de France 13 times, coming fourth in 1954.

Jean Dotto was born with Italian nationality. He became French in 1937.[1] Dotto was a good climber. He became an independent, or semi-professional, in 1948 and won a race up Mont Ventoux[2] that year and won Marseille-Toulon-Marseille and the climb of La Turbie, near Nice in 1950. He turned professional in 1951 for France-Sport-Dunlop and won five races, including three hill climbs, in his first season. He rode until 1963, winning 35 races,[2] including the Dauphiné-Libéré twice. He won stage 19 of the 1954 Tour de France and next year won the Vuelta by beating Julio Jiménez of Spain and Raphaël Géminiani of France.

Of his era, he said: "We took amphetamine but not all the year. That allowed us to win and it wasn't very dangerous."[3]

Major results

1952
1st, Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
8th, Overall, Tour de France
1954
4th, Overall, Tour de France
1st, Stage 19, Briançon > Aix-les-Bains (221 km)
1955
1st, Overall, Vuelta a España
1956 – Sud-Est
19th, Overall, Tour de France
1957
10th, Overall, Tour de France
1958 – Centre-Midi
DNF Stage 23, Tour de France
3rd, Climbers Classification
1959
15th, Overall, Tour de France
1960
1st, Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
35th, Overall, Tour de France
1961
8th, Overall, Tour de France
1962
58th, Overall, Tour de France
1963
28th, Overall, Tour de France

References

  1. ^ Memoire du Cyclisme, Rider history, Jean-Baptiste Dotto Archived 2009-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Velo Club, Rider database, article on Jean-Baptiste Dotto Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Cyclisme Dopage, Les aveux -Après la fin de leur carrière (mais sans remord...) (Confessions - After the end of their careers (but without remorse ...), Jean-Baptiste Dotto