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French cycling team (1978–1985)
Renault
Renault riders in 1978
UCI code REN Registered France Founded 1978 (1978 ) Disbanded 1985 Discipline(s)
Road
Cyclo-cross General manager
Cyrille Guimard 1978 1979–1980 1981–1982 1983–1985
Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo Renault–Gitane Renault–Elf–Gitane Renault–Elf
Renault (
UCI team code: REN ) was a French professional
cycling team that existed from 1978 to 1985.
[1] The team 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 featured the promising young cyclist
Bernard Hinault .
[2]
From 1978 to 1980, the team was known as Renault–Gitane but, from 1981 to 1985, the team was Renault–Elf. Elf being an oil company that was owned by the Renault auto group.
[2]
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.[
citation needed ]
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 teammate
Laurent Fignon took over the designated team leader after winning the
1983 Tour de France .[
citation needed ]
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 .[
citation needed ]
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 .[
citation needed ]
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 team.
[2]
Major wins
1978
Overall
Tour de France ,
Bernard Hinault
Stages 8, 15 & 20,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Vuelta a España ,
Bernard Hinault
Grand Prix des Nations ,
Bernard Hinault
1979
Giro di Lombardia ,
Bernard Hinault
La Flèche Wallonne ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Tour de France ,
Bernard Hinault
Stages 2 (ITT), 3, 11 (ITT), 15 (ITT), 21 (ITT) 23 & 24,
Bernard Hinault
Stage 13,
Pierre-Raymond Villemiane
Giro di Lombardia ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
Grand Prix des Nations ,
Bernard Hinault
1980
Paris–Camembert ,
Pierre-Raymond Villemiane
Liège–Bastogne–Liège ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Giro d'Italia ,
Bernard Hinault
Stage 12,
Yvon Bertin
Stage 14,
Bernard Hinault
Stage 20,
Jean-René Bernaudeau
Prologue & Stages 4 & 5 (ITT),
Bernard Hinault
1981
Paris–Roubaix ,
Bernard Hinault
Amstel Gold Race ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Tour de France ,
Bernard Hinault
Prologue & Stages 7 (ITT), 16, 20 & 22 (ITT),
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ,
Bernard Hinault
1982
Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Giro d'Italia ,
Bernard Hinault
Stage 11,
Bernard Becaas
Stages 12, 18 & 22 (ITT),
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Tour de France ,
Bernard Hinault
Prologue & Stages 14, 19 (ITT) & 21,
Bernard Hinault
Tour de l'Avenir ,
Greg LeMond
Grand Prix des Nations ,
Bernard Hinault
1983
La Flèche Wallonne ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Tour de France ,
Laurent Fignon
Stage 5,
Dominique Gaigne
Stage 9,
Philippe Chevallier
Stage 21 (ITT),
Laurent Fignon
Overall
Vuelta a España ,
Bernard Hinault
Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ,
Greg LeMond
1984
Stage 10
Giro d'Italia ,
Martial Gayant
Stage 20
Giro d'Italia ,
Laurent Fignon
Overall
Tour de France ,
Laurent Fignon
Stage 2,
Marc Madiot
Stage 3a (TTT)
Stages 6 (ITT), 15 (ITT), 17, 19 & 21 (ITT),
Laurent Fignon
Stage 7,
Pascal Jules
Stage 11,
Pascal Poisson
Stage 12,
Pierre-Henri Menthéour
Tour de l'Avenir ,
Charly Mottet
1985
Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise ,
Charly Mottet
Paris–Camembert ,
Martial Gayant
1985 Paris–Roubaix ,
Marc Madiot
Grand Prix des Nations ,
Charly Mottet
National and world champions
1978
French National Road Race Championships ,
Bernard Hinault
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Jean-Yves Plaisance
1979
French National Road Race Championships ,
Roland Berland
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
André Wilhelm
1980
World Road Race Championship ,
Bernard Hinault
French National Road Race Championships ,
Pierre-Raymond Villemiane
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Alex Gerardin
1982
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Marc Madiot
1983
World Road Race Championship ,
Greg LeMond
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Martial Gayant
1984
French National Road Race Championships ,
Laurent Fignon
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Yvon Madiot
1985
French
National Cyclo-cross Championships ,
Yvon Madiot
Notable riders
References
External links
Media related to
Renault (cycling team) at Wikimedia Commons
Team classification Team points classification
Team classification Team points classification (1993–2017)
International National Other