Le Groupement was a French cycling team that existed from the beginning of the 1995 season until a week before the start of that year's Tour de France in June 1995.
The set up of the team in July 1994 was done through a holding company called Sport Competition,[5] for the sponsor, Le Groupement Européen des Professionnels du Marketing.
[4] Other notable riders included former Tour de France mountain classification winner Robert Millar (now known as Philippa York), Ronan Pensec and the sprinter Jean-Paul van Poppel.
When Obree failed to attend the New Year's training camp in the Alps, he was fired on 1 January 1995, just hours into the official beginning of his contract.
The company's business relied mainly on 50,000 individual independent salespeople, selling goods directly to their friends and family.
[13] This business model, based on "motivational sessions and individual investment in the company's retail goods"[4] was deemed by many to constitute a pyramid scheme.
[15] The accusations and financial woes had led to a threat by Le Groupement to end sponsorship as early as March, but the team continued for the time being.