Renault (cycling team)

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Renault riders in 1978
Team information
UCI code	REN
Registered	France
Founded	1978 (1978)
Disbanded	1985
Discipline(s)	Road Cyclo-cross
Key personnel
General manager	Cyrille Guimard
Team name history
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.

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]

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

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

• Bernard Hinault
• Marc Madiot
• Laurent Fignon
• Greg LeMond
• Charly Mottet
• Vincent Barteau
• Éric Boyer
• Thierry Marie
• Hubert Arbès

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