The Gitane Tour de France was one of the starter bikes of choice for most of my racing buddies in the early '70s. We all used tubulars, 19-21mm for time trials and fast criteriums, to the 26mm Clement Paris-Roubaix for rough roads and long miles. Frame clearances on this bike are sufficiently ample that some guys used 27" clinchers (700c clinchers didn't exist yet) for winter training.