Sem-France Loire
Encyclopedia
The Sem-Loire France cycling team was a French
professional cycling team
that existed for four years from 1980 to 1983. Although a small team, directeur sportif
Jean de Gribaldy
directed the team to success in various classic races
and in stage races such as Paris–Nice and the Tour de France
as well as the French
championships.
Jean de Gribaldy
when he took the French
section of the successful Belgian
cycling team
after Flandria withdrew sponsorship. De Gribaldy took Portuguese rider Joaquim Agostinho
with him as team leader of his new team. With several sponsors, de Gribaldy formed a French
team called Puch-Sem-Campagnolo. In the team's first year, Agostinho finished fifth in the 1980 Tour de France
. The following year this team became known as Sem-France Loire when Sem took over as main sponsors. The highlight of the year for the team was when Serge Bucherie became road race champion of France. During the summer of 1981, Sean Kelly
got in touch with his former directeur sportif
about joining the team. De Gribaldy organised the necessary sponsorship and 1982 marked the return of Kelly to de Gribaldy which immediately translated into success. Kelly, who had been riding in a Belgian team with a Belgian leader in Eddy Planckaert
, was now made the team leader. With this support behind him, Kelly went to the prestigious stage race Paris–Nice and won. Kelly continued that success by winning the maillot vert of the 1982 Tour de France
. In 1983, he again won Paris–Nice and the maillot vert of the 1983 Tour de France
, and, at the end of the season, triumphed in the Giro di Lombardia, one of the five monument
races in cycling, his first. Sem was replaced as main sponsor in 1984 when the small power tool manufacturer Skil
became the main sponsor making the Skil-Sem team
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
professional cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
that existed for four years from 1980 to 1983. Although a small team, directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
Jean de Gribaldy
Jean de Gribaldy
Jean de Gribaldy was a French road cyclist and directeur sportif.-Biography:Born in Besançon, former professional racing cyclist from 1945 to 1954, Jean de Gribaldy began a successful career as a directeur sportif in the mid-1960s .Called le Vicomte , he discovered Sean Kelly, Joaquim Agostinho...
directed the team to success in various classic races
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
and in stage races such as Paris–Nice and the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
as well as the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
championships.
History
The team formed under directeur sportifDirecteur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
Jean de Gribaldy
Jean de Gribaldy
Jean de Gribaldy was a French road cyclist and directeur sportif.-Biography:Born in Besançon, former professional racing cyclist from 1945 to 1954, Jean de Gribaldy began a successful career as a directeur sportif in the mid-1960s .Called le Vicomte , he discovered Sean Kelly, Joaquim Agostinho...
when he took the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
section of the successful Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
after Flandria withdrew sponsorship. De Gribaldy took Portuguese rider Joaquim Agostinho
Joaquim Agostinho
Joaquim Fernandes Agostinho, OIH was a Portuguese professional bicycle racer. He was champion of Portugal in six successive years. He rode the Tour de France 13 times and finished all but once, winning on Alpe d'Huez in 1979, and finishing 3rd twice...
with him as team leader of his new team. With several sponsors, de Gribaldy formed a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team called Puch-Sem-Campagnolo. In the team's first year, Agostinho finished fifth in the 1980 Tour de France
1980 Tour de France
The 1980 Tour de France was the 67th Tour de France. The total distance was 3945.5 km over 22 stages, the average speed of the riders was 35.317 km/h....
. The following year this team became known as Sem-France Loire when Sem took over as main sponsors. The highlight of the year for the team was when Serge Bucherie became road race champion of France. During the summer of 1981, Sean Kelly
Seán Kelly (cyclist)
John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
got in touch with his former directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
about joining the team. De Gribaldy organised the necessary sponsorship and 1982 marked the return of Kelly to de Gribaldy which immediately translated into success. Kelly, who had been riding in a Belgian team with a Belgian leader in Eddy Planckaert
Eddy Planckaert
Eddy Planckaert is a former professional road racing cyclist from Belgium. In 1988, Planckaert enjoyed perhaps his best year by capturing the green jersey at the 1988 Tour de France and winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen...
, was now made the team leader. With this support behind him, Kelly went to the prestigious stage race Paris–Nice and won. Kelly continued that success by winning the maillot vert of the 1982 Tour de France
1982 Tour de France
The 1982 Tour de France was the 69th Tour de France, taking place July 2 to July 25, 1982. The total race distance was 22 stages over 2179 miles , with riders averaging 23.649 mph...
. In 1983, he again won Paris–Nice and the maillot vert of the 1983 Tour de France
1983 Tour de France
The 1983 Tour de France was the 70th Tour de France, run from 1 to 22 July 1982 in 22 stages and a prologue, over a total distance of 3862 km., won by French rider Laurent Fignon. Sean Kelly of Ireland won the green jersey, and Lucien Van Impe of Belgium won the polka dot jersey...
, and, at the end of the season, triumphed in the Giro di Lombardia, one of the five monument
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
races in cycling, his first. Sem was replaced as main sponsor in 1984 when the small power tool manufacturer Skil
Skil
Skil is a brand of power handtools produced by Robert Bosch GmbH. The line traces its heritage to the invention of the portable circular saw, marketed as a Skilsaw. The Model 77 which evolved from it set the industry standard for handheld worm-and-drive circular saws and remains in production...
became the main sponsor making the Skil-Sem team
Skil-Sem (cycling team)
Skil-Sem was a French professional cycling team which competed during both the 1984 and 1985 seasons. It was the continuation of the Sem-France Loire team. Skil-Sem was the team with which the team's leader, Sean Kelly, dominated the sport in 1984. Another team member, the french rider Eric...
.
Famous cyclists
- Joaquim AgostinhoJoaquim AgostinhoJoaquim Fernandes Agostinho, OIH was a Portuguese professional bicycle racer. He was champion of Portugal in six successive years. He rode the Tour de France 13 times and finished all but once, winning on Alpe d'Huez in 1979, and finishing 3rd twice...
- Sean KellySeán Kelly (cyclist)John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
- Jostein WilmannJostein WilmannJostein Wilmann is a former Norwegian professional road racing cyclist. His best performance came in the Tour de France of 1980, where he finished 14th overall. This is still the best result any Norwegian cyclist has achieved in the Tour de France general classification.-External links:...
- Dietrich ThurauDietrich ThurauDietrich Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow...
- Eric CaritouxÉric CaritouxÉric Caritoux is a French former professional road racing cyclist who raced between 1983 and 1994. He had 22 victories in his career, the highlights of which were winning the Vuelta a España in 1984 and taking the French road race championships in 1988 and 1989...
- Steven RooksSteven RooksSteven Rooks is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist known for his climbing ability. His professional career ran from 1982–1995.- Tour de France :...
- Marcel TinazziMarcel TinazziMarcel Tinazzi is a former French professional road bicycle racer of Italian parents. He was the cousin of an Italian professional cyclist Giorgio Tinazzi. He was a professional cyclist from 1977 until 1986...
- Serge Beucherie
- René Bittinger
Important Victories
Road Race Championship 1981 Cyclo Cross Championship 1981- Paris–Camembert 1981
- Dagmersellen, Cyclocross 1981
- Paris–Nice 1982, 1983
- Giro di Lombardia 1983
- Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1983
- Nice–Alassio 1982, 1983
- Critérium InternationalCritérium InternationalThe Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
1983 - GP d'Isbergues 1983
- Tour de SuisseTour de SuisseThe Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
1983