New link to the MaxiSports Raleigh Castorama ad (1990):
And another one to a Gitane ad, with the Delta bike (1985):
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Freek Faro Rotterdam Netherlands
2010/3/7 sandranian <sandranian@yahoo.com>
> Maxi Sports was a company owned by Guimard. Essentially, it was the bicycle
> team which then signed on sponsors, like Systeme U and Castorama. You will
> notice the Maxi Sports logo on Systeme U jerseys (the small rounded off,
> stylized French flag on the front breast of the jersey).
>
> The bicycles being sold as Hinault's are completely different from the
> Gitane aero bike ("Profil") which Hinault used. I have no idea if they are
> or aren't Hinaults. They are badged with the same decals used in 1985 for
> the La Vie Claire team which Hinault rode for.
>
> The Gitanes in question were developed after the company was purchased by
> Renault around 1976/77 and was the first to use a wind tunnel to improve the
> aerodynamics of the bicycle, as opposed to merely improving the rider's
> position during time trials. Hinault used the Gitane aero bikes with the
> front brakes mounted in the rear of the fork and in the front...it seemed
> that they experimented with that.
> http://www.gitaneusa.com/
>
> A version of the Gitane Aero bike was made available to the public in the
> early 1980s, using all Shimano components:
> http://www.gitaneusa.com/
>
> This bicycle was later further refined into the "Delta" machine...which was
> truly revolutionary for its time (about 1983/84) and looks quite modern
> today (pictured is the 1988 variant, which was the same as the earlier
> ones):
> http://www.gitaneusa.com/
>
> During the latter stages of Systeme U, some of the bicycles were being
> outsourced or produced by other as yet unknown manufacturers, including the
> "Raleigh" Maxi Sports bicycles referenced in these posts. If you look on the
> Maxi Sports advert attached here, you will notice the "Delta" and the
> bicycle called the "Extrema"...in Systeme U colors...which was badged as a
> "Raleigh" in 1989 and on which Fignon lost the Tour de France. I have no
> other evidence (besides this advert) that the bicycle was manufactured by
> Gitane.
> http://www.gitaneusa.com/
>
> I am sure there is a bunch more to write on this....
>
> Stephan Andranian
> Costa Mesa, California USA
> http://www.GitaneUSA.com
>
>
>
>
>
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>
> --- On *Sun, 3/7/10, Freek Faro <khun.freek@gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Freek Faro <khun.freek@gmail.com>
> Subject: [CR] Was: Bikes Used By The Pros, now: Maxi Sports
> To: "kevin sayles" <kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk>
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Sunday, March 7, 2010, 3:35 AM
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> The names Maxi Sports and Castorama got me thinking, and leafing through
> some old magazines. This ad I found in the (I think) August 1990 issue of
> Miroir du Cyclisme, called 'Miroir du Tour 90'.
> The ad is by the firm MaxiSports, and shows Laurent Fignon posing in his
> Castorama outfit, and with his Raleigh bike. The text says that Maxi Sports
> can sell you a custom made Raleigh bike, developed by Maxi Sports. Cyrille
> Guimard is the man behind Maxi Sports.
>
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>
> So how was the connection between Raleigh, obviously English, and
> MaxiSports, which is obviously French. Anyone know the story?
>
> Freek 'stupéfait' Faro
>
> Rotterdam Netherlands
>
> 2010/3/7 kevin sayles kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk<http://us.mc835.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk
> >
>
> > Hi Norris,
> > I agree with you in that I think the chrono bike claimed to be Hinaults
> > looks way too large for him........and if I'm not mistaken the chrono
> > aerodynamic bike I remember was in Gitane blue, and wasn't the front
> brake
> > on the reverse of the forks......I used to have a big poster of him on
> > it........which is funny really, because despite his unquestionable class
> > and ability....I was never really a fan, don't know why....just never
> > endeared himself to me.......ovbiously I must have liked the bike! [I was
> > however a big fan of Jan Francoise Bernhard.......perhaps because I was
> told
> > I looked very much like him, [when I had hair] both in looks and in style
> on
> > the bike........one thing is certain....I never went as quick!!]
> >
> > cheers
> > Kevin Sayles....wishing I was riding the Yorkshire RC reliability
> trial...
> > Bridgwater Somerset UK
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norris Lockley" <
> > nlockley73@googlemail.com<http://us.mc835.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nlockley73@googlemail.com>
> >
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org<http://us.mc835.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >
> > Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 12:06 AM
> > Subject: [CR] Bikes Used By The Pros
> >
> >
> >
> > >From time to time on the List there are enquiries about where the
> actual
> >> bikes used by Pro riders end up, and I recall that during the last
> twelve
> >> months a handful of machines and frames that pruported to having been
> >> ridden
> >> in anger by Pros have turned up.
> >>
> >> French Ebay has more than its fair share of such machines and this week
> >> has
> >> come up with an odd selection. However I think that a couple of them
> bear
> >> very close scrutiny as to their actual provenance. None of the machines
> >> are
> >> really and truly within the List's time-frame..are only just
> outside..and
> >> both the riders dis start their careers within the timescale..I think.
> >>
> >> The first two bikes, it is claimed, belonged to and were ridden by none
> >> other than Bernard Hinault; they are:
> >>
> >> *item 1303700899026 - a prototype chrono machine*. This is transferred
> up
> >> as
> >> a Bernatd Hinault frame..all aero tubes and shaved components. It is
> >> claimed
> >> it dates from 1984/85. To my mind it looks a tad too big for Hinault,
> but
> >> as
> >> he had long legs for his height and accordingly a short torso, this
> might
> >> exp[lain the design of the frame. At 1000 euros and something like 16
> >> hours
> >> to run, the auction has not yet attracted any bidders. The second
> machine
> >> is:
> >>
> >> *item 130370091298 - a prototype cyclo-cross machine.* Hinault did
> >> actually
> >> take part in cyclo-cross races during the closed season, and this
> machine
> >> looks to be more his size..around about a 55cms. However the seller
> states
> >> that the frame is the only one of its type..which is not true. The frame
> >> is
> >> a MECACYCLE TURBO, with the twin seat tubes..or at least a copy of that
> >> design. At 1000 euros and about eighteen hours to run, the auction still
> >> has
> >> no bidders. The third machine is;-
> >>
> >> *Item 230443398748 - a Maxi-Sport lugless frame in Castorama Team blue.*
> >> It
> >> is claimed that the frame belonged to Fabien Jeker and he used it during
> >> the
> >> 1993 season. The asking price, without a fork is 99 euros..with no bids
> on
> >> its second outing.
> >>
> >> Apologies, Dale, if I have compromised the List's time frame slightly,
> but
> >> I
> >> thought some of the List's members might well be interested in these
> >> items,
> >> particularly as there is such a healthy interest in Gitane machines (
> and
> >> of
> >> course Hinault rode Gitane machines, but these two might just be into
> his
> >> La
> >> Vie Claire period).
> >>
> >> Norris Lockley
> >>
> >> Settle UK