Look’s new aero-all-rounder - still officially unnamed but which we think will be called the 795 RS - is something of an open secret, but a closely guarded one.
The Cofidis team teased it via their Instagram and almost all the cycling media have speculated not only about what it might be called, but where it will sit in the French brand’s lineup, whether it is a third bike Cofidis will use alongside the 785 Huez and 795 Blade… and we still don’t have any actual details about the bike itself.
All we’ve had from Look is that it’s one of “several future bike platforms” it has developed with Cofidis to “help them on their quest for victories at the highest level”.
However, Cycling Weekly’s Adam Becket has photographed the bikes of Max Walscheid (number 47) and Eddy Fine (number 44) at the Saudi Tour, where the Look prototype is again being used.
(Image credit: Adam Becket)
Walscheid gave the Look bike another podium finish on stage one, where the 6ft 6in German sprinted to third place behind Dylan Groenewegen and Serbian champion Dusan Rajovic.
Bryan Coquard won stage four of the Tour Down Under in January to deliver the first win on the new machine.
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
So now we've established that it's stiff enough for a giant German powerhouse sprinter. And the stage that Consonni won included a gravel sector.
We've already noted that the tubes are aero-optimized without going as deep as those of the 795 Blade or the other dedicated aero bikes. The head tube is still deep, there’s an aero D-shaped seatpost, a seat tube cutout that closes off the gap to the rear tyre, and bladed, dropped seatstays.
The new bike seems to have fully confirmed its aero all-rounder credentials.
(Image credit: Adam Becket)
(Image credit: Adam Becket)
Cofidis have switched from Campagolo to Shimano this year, so we’re looking at a full Dura-Ace 9200 groupset except for the chainset, which is an SRM Origin 9 power meter.
Walscheid's bike (above) is equipped with a 54/40 chainring setup on 172.5 cranks.
Corima continues as Look’s wheel supplier, and continuing the French theme the team rides Michelin tyres. However, it’s interesting to see both riders’ bikes running Michelin Power Cup tubulars at the Saudi Tour, suggesting that not all pro riders and teams are adopting tubeless technology quite yet.
It can’t be disputed that there’s nothing quite like classic tanwall tubs to give a bike a pro racing aesthetic.
Stay tuned for the latest on the new Look.
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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.
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