Renault–Elf–Gitane
| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | REN |
| Registered | France |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Disbanded | 1985 |
| Discipline |
Road Cyclo-cross |
| Status | Retired |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Cyrille Guimard |
| Team name history | |
| 1978-1980 1981-1985 |
Renault-Gitane Renault-Elf |
Renault–Elf–Gitane was a French professional cycling team that existed from 1978 to 1985 and which cycled on and promoted Gitane racing bikes.
History
The team was created in 1978 after the Renault auto group purchased the Gitane bicycle manufacturer and became the main sponsor of the Gitane-Campagnolo cycling team that was directed by former French cycling champion Cyrille Guimard and contained the promising young cyclist Bernard Hinault.[1] From 1978 to 1980 the team was Renault-Gitane but then from 1981 to 1985 the team was Renault-Elf. Elf being an oil company that was owned by the Renault auto group.[1] During this time the team with Bernard Hinault dominated the sport from 1978 to 1983 with four wins in the Tour de France, two wins in the Vuelta a España and two wins in the Giro d'Italia. Hinault won several smaller stage races as well as one day races which included Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Paris–Roubaix, Giro di Lombardia, the Amstel Gold Race and the 1980 World Cycling Championships. Guimard signed several American riders which included future Tour de France winner Greg LeMond. LeMond made an immediate impression with his third-place finish behind Hinault in the 1981 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. Hinault left the team at the end of 1983 after Renault-Elf team mate Laurent Fignon took over the designated team leader after winning the 1983 Tour de France. Greg LeMond added to the team's laurels by winning the 1983 World Championship. The following year Fignon finished high in the Giro d'Italia, and then went on to become the 1984 French National Champion and winner of the 1984 Tour de France. The dominance of the team began to wane in 1985, with Fignon suffering from persistent knee injury and rising star Greg LeMond leaving the team for Hinault's La Vie Claire team. The highlight of the 1985 season was Marc Madiot’s win in the cobbled classic Paris–Roubaix.
After the 1985 season, the Renault auto group retired from sponsoring in the peloton and the French supermarket Système U became the main sponsor of Guimard’s team. The team continued to ride on Gitane bicycle frames, who were co-sponsors for the Système U-Gitane cycling team.[1]
Famous riders
- Bernard Hinault
- Marc Madiot
- Laurent Fignon
- Greg LeMond
- Charly Mottet
- Vincent Barteau
- Eric Boyer
- Thierry Marie
Important Victories
- Tour de France General classification 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
- Giro d'Italia General classification 1979, 1980
- Vuelta a España General classification 1978, 1983
- World road race championship 1980, 1983
France Road Race Championship 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984- France Cyclo Cross Championships 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Luxembourg Road Race Championship 1978, 1979, 1980- Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1980
- Paris–Roubaix 1981, 1985
- Amstel Gold Race 1981
- Giro di Lombardia 1979
- Grand Prix des Nations 1978, 1979, 1982, 1985
- Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré General classification 1979, 1981, 1983
- Tour de l'Avenir 1982, 1984
Major results
- 1975
- 1st Paris–Camembert, Raymon Martin
- 1st Stages 14 & 18 (ITT) Tour de France, Lucien Van Impe
- 1976
- 1st Paris–Camembert, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall
Tour de France, Lucien Van Impe
- 1st Stages 13 & 14, Lucien Van Impe
- 1977
- 1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège,
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de France, Pierre-Raymond Villemaine
- 1st Stage 14 Tour de France, Bernard Quilfen
- 1st Stage 22b Tour de France, Alain Meslet
- 1978
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stages 8, 15 & 20, Bernard Hinault
- 1979
- 1st Giro di Lombardia, Bernard Hinault
- 1st La Flèche Wallonne, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stages 2 (ITT), 3, 11 (ITT), 15 (ITT), 21 (ITT) 23 & 24, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stage 13, Pierre-Raymond Villemaine
- 1980
- 1st Paris–Camembert, Pierre-Raymond Villemaine
- 1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall
Giro d'Italia, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stage 12, Yvon Bertin
- 1st Stage 14, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stage 20, Jean-Rene Bernaudeau
- 1st Prologue & Stages 4 & 5 (ITT), Bernard Hinault
- 1st World Championship Road Race, Bernard Hinault
- 1981
- 1st Paris–Roubaix, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Amstel Gold Race, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Prologue & Stages 7 (ITT), 16, 20 & 22 (ITT), Bernard Hinault
- 1982
- 1st Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall Giro d'Italia, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Stage 11, Bernard Becaas
- 1st Stages 12, 18 & 22 (ITT), Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Prologue & Stages 14, 19 (ITT) & 21, Bernard Hinault
- 1983
- 1st La Flèche Wallonne, Bernard Hinault
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Laurent Fignon
- 1st Stage 5, Dominique Gaigne
- 1st Stage 9, Philippe Chevallier
- 1st Stage 21 (ITT), Laurent Fignon
- 1st World Championship Road Race, Greg LeMond
- 1984
- 1st Stage 10 Giro d'Italia, Martial Gayant
- 1st Stage 20 Giro d'Italia, Laurent Fignon
- 1st Overall Tour de France, Laurent Fignon
- 1st Stage 2, Marc Madiot
- 1st Stage 3a (TTT)
- 1st Stages 6 (ITT), 15 (ITT), 17, 19 & 21 (ITT), Laurent Fignon
- 1st Stage 7, Pascal Jules
- 1st Stage 11, Pascal Poisson
- 1st Stage 12, Pierre-Henri Mentheour
- 1985
- 1st Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, Charly Mottet
- 1st Paris–Camembert, Martial Gayant
- 1st Paris–Roubaix, Marc Madiot