Bernard Hinault has joined a group of businessmen trying to save the Mavic brand, which was placed into receivership last month.

Innault, a five-time Tour de France winner, joined the bid led by lawyer Didier Plumer.

Plumer helped American businessman Frank McCourt buy the Olympique de Marseille in 2016, and Le Moal was the driving force behind Arcare's cycling sponsorship.

According to L'Équipe (opens in new tab), 14 bids have already been submitted to Grenoble's commercial court before the June 19 deadline.

Mavic, headquartered near Annecy, was founded in 1889 and employs over 250 people. It has provided neutral service at the Tour de France since 1977, the year before Inaud won his debut race.

"I am very happy to support a French project to save Mavic, a brand that has supported my career and is inseparable from bicycle racing," Inaud told L'Equipe magazine.

." As a technical partner, Mavic has always supported riders in difficult situations. Now it is my turn to help the riders belonging to Mavic when they are in difficulty. It's a fair exchange

Mavic was ostensibly sold by the French Salomon Group to California private equity firm Regent LP last July, but a Mavic staff representative said last month that the brand was actually acquired by Delaware-based M Sports, Inc.

"To make matters worse, since the sale by Salomon, Mavic has been understandably abandoned and has never actually been taken over by either Regent LP or M Sports," the statement said.

Inaud, who stepped down as ASO ambassador after the 2016 Tour, will take an active role in Mavic if the consortium's bid is successful; according to L'Équipe, the 65-year-old's duties will include developing Mavic's e-cycling products and promotion of Mavic's e-cycling products.