The French bicycle manufacturer Cycles Gitane was a regular sponsor of cycling teams for much of the 20th century. In 1973, after the dissolution of the Gitane-Frigécrème team, the Sonolor team, created a couple of years earlier, acquired a significant portion of the former's roster and its sponsorship. When Renault acquired the Gitane bicycle factory in 1978, the team was renamed Renault - Gitane - Campagnolo and later Renault - Elf, a name under which it would become known as one of the most dominant teams of the 1980s.
Bernard Hinault was the team's biggest star, making his debut at the age of 20 in 1974 (still under the Sonolor team). Hinault would achieve his first monument victory, the 1977 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, while representing Gitane - Campagnolo.
1974 - 1983 Bernard Hinault