Hello C+V!
I recently bought this Gitane frame and fork on craigslist and am looking for more information: model name, year.. really anything! It appears to be made in the Systeme U Team era given the team color decals (Allez Fignon!). I am wondering if it's actually built with Reynolds 531c tubes. I was expecting the seat post size to be 27.2mm, but it came with a 26.4mm model. The seat post clamp area is definitely squished a bit, so I'm sure that it's meant for a larger post (26.6 or 26.8?). The frame has some nice details that would indicate a higher-end model: chromed fork and stays, painted lug windows, internal rear brake cable routing. I did scour the web for anything that would indicate its history, but came up with very little. I did find a page from the 1988 Gitane catalog, which shows the Vainqueur model with 531c tubing, but with the wrong colors and under-top-tube cable routing. In fact, I wasn't able to find any Gitanes with a black to silver metallic fade online at all! The closest I got was a matching decal set from Australia on eBay, which includes a model name—Avenir.
So I'm looking to the C+V braintrust to fill in the gaps! Thanks in advance.
Now, the pictures: