The company was established by Émile Camuset in 1882, initially within the woolen industry and then entering into the sportswear business, with some sources stating that it was his son who encouraged him to do it.

[7] The Camuset family started manufacturing sports clothing in its factory in Romilly-sur-Seine in north central France, releasing its first catalogue (which mostly included cycling jerseys) in 1929.

[8][9] Le Coq Sportif reached its peak in the 1950s, with its first huge success in 1951 when the brand signed a deal to make the yellow jersey for the Tour de France.

[7] In the early 1970s, Adidas, dissociated with its share in the market, began to sell textile products, realising that the Camuset family had registered the three stripes symbol in France.

That quick move and some bad decisions by the Camuset family made LCS lose a substantial piece of the market and Adidas offered to buy the company, which would have regained ownership of the three stripes in France as part of the deal.

The offer was declined by Mirielle Camuset –Emile's daughter– more based on her political thoughts (as she had been a member of the French resistance against Germany during the World War II) than a commercial point of view.

The French government became aware of LCS' critical situation, and appointed entrepreneur André Guelfi to take over the company and save it.

In the 1980s, Adidas's support allowed LCS reaching new audiences when tennis player Yannick Noah won the French Open in 1983, wearing Le Coq Sportif apparel.

Furthermore, the French Rugby Federation sued Le Coq Sportif in September 2024, claiming €5.3 million in unpaid sponsorship fees.

[8] South Korean golfer Yang Yong-eun wore a Le Coq Sportif shirt on the last day of the PGA Championship in 2009, which he won.

In 2012, Le Coq Sportif returned to professional cycling, and manufactured the jerseys for the Tour de France under a new five-year contract with Amaury Sport Organisation.