Thanks for the info on 70s Gitanes. From the several replies I'm realizing there was no standardized model line like Raleigh had in the 70s, that various build styles were given various names for various markets. I don't know exactly what year my Gitane was since when I bought it in '77 the shop had had it around too long and was anxious to get rid of their only remaining Gitane. Though I made a fetish of the french language 531db decals, I don't remember what the orginal Gitane decals (hadn't had French yet, and the bike was repainted before 1980). I know it wasn't "Interclub," nor TdF, although "Service Course" sounds familiarly generic. Sounds like the high-end Gitanes had either mostly Campy or all French components and some small differences in lug designs and different fork ends, and were 531 (Vitus for mid-range? unlike Motobecane that put Vitus on the high end as readily as 531).
Mitch Harris
Utah Co., UT