Alex Renard’s lightweight Look 795 Blade RS embraces aero formula but sticks to 25mm tubular tyres

Cofidis domestique is riding Look’s new race bike in a size XL

By Paul Norman

Published: Wednesday, 19 July 2023 at 12:00 am

Team Cofidis has been riding the new Look 795 Blade RS at the 2023 Tour de France. Though only released officially in June 2023 at Eurobike, the team has been racing it since Look took over as bike sponsor from De Rosa at the start of 2023.

25 per cent of the carbon used in the 795 Blade RS is Look’s Ultra High Modulus Carbon, which leads to a claimed frame weight of 890g for a size-small bike.

Weight isn’t the only focus of the bike, with Look saying it has aerodynamically optimised the seatpost, seatstays, top tube and fork, with the bottles mounted low down to aid aerodynamics.

"Alexis
The Look 795 Blade RS frame has the typical flat-back tube profiles and dropped seatstays of an aero/lightweight bike.

A puncheur, Alexis Renard placed seventh at this year’s Gent-Wevelgem and seventh overall at the Four Days of Dunkerque.

He was riding as a domestique to team leader Guillaume Martin and in the lead-out for the team’s sprinter Bryan Coquard at the Tour de France before crashing out during the stage 16 time trial.

Two-part cockpit

"Alexis
Although it looks like a one-piece design, the Look 795 Blade RS cockpit has a separate bar and stem.
"Alexis
It still offers a sleek, integrated profile…
"Mathieu
…but underneath, bolts hold the two parts together, offering more cockpit dimension choices than a one-piece design.
"Alexis
Renard is running 38mm-wide bars with the levers turned slightly inwards.
"Alexis
The cockpit has a proprietary computer mount, although this means the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt loses its standard integrated mount.

The new Look 795 Blade RS has what has become the classic aero/lightweight look, with an aero-integrated cockpit that hides the brake hoses. However, there’s more adjustability than on many aero setups, thanks to a separate bar and stem rather than the more typical one-piece design.

Despite this, Look claims a 5-watt saving over its older cockpit designs.

Renard is running a 14cm-long stem with the pro’s favourite 38mm-wide bars. As with many other pros, he has his levers turned inwards for a narrower, potentially more aero stance when riding on the hoods.

"Alexis
Cofidis is running 47mm-deep Corima wheels.
"Alexis
Corima has only recently introduced its first tubeless clincher wheelset, so the team is running tubular tyres.
"DSC00172"
The Michelin Power Cup tubulars measure exactly 25mm wide, narrow by the standards of other bikes at the Tour.
"Alexis
The 25mm tyres look narrow in the frame’s 32mm clearances.

The bike is kitted out with Corima WS Evo 47 wheels. Corima has only just launched its first tubeless wheelset and Cofidis is running Michelin Power Cup tubular tyres. It’s one of the few teams left on tubs.

Astana Qazaqstan swapped from Corima to HED wheels mid-season, in part because the latter could offer a tubeless option.

The Michelin Power Cup tubular tyres are 25mm wide and come up at exactly that width, which is rather narrow by modern standards and significantly less than the 32mm clearance offered by the Look 795 Blade RS frame.

SRM Origin power meter

"Alexis
Cofidis is running SRM Origin power meters paired with Look cranks.
"Alexis
The Look cranks can be set up with 170mm, 172.5mm or 175mm length by adjusting the tri-lobe nut that holds the pedals in place.
"Alexis
Alexis Renard is riding with Look Keo 2 Max pedals rather than the carbon blade spring design.
"Alexis
In Bilbao, Renard’s bike was set up with the 11-30t Dura-Ace cassette option.
"Alexis
That setup was paired with 54/40t Dura-Ace chainrings.

Cofidis is using power meters from SRM. The originator of cycle power meters, SRM used to be prevalent in the pro ranks, but has gradually been supplanted by newer options over the years.

The Look-branded cranks are matched with Shimano Dura-Ace chainrings in a typical pro 54/40t combination. They have Look’s three-lobe design to the cranks, which enables one set of cranks to be run at 170, 172.5 or 175mm length, with Renard choosing the middle value.

He’s using the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedal with a conventional spring closure rather than the slightly lower-profile Keo Blade pedal with its carbon leaf spring and larger surface contact area.

At the grand départ, Renard was running the smaller-range 11-30t Dura-Ace cassette out back, with Dura-Ace levers and derailleurs, despite the hilly parcours, which saw many riders adopt the 11-34t Dura-Ace cassette.

How much does Alexis Renard’s Look 795 Blade RS weigh?

"Alexis
Despite the XL frame, we weighed Alexis Renard’s Look 795 Blade RS at 7.53kg.

Alexis Renard is a tall rider at 1.86m and weighs 74kg. He’s riding a size-XL frame, the largest Look offers. Despite this, we weighed the complete bike at 7.53kg with bottle cages and pedals – not bad.

Alexis Renard’s Look 795 Blade RS | Specs

  • Frameset: Look 795 Blade RS, size XL
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, Look/SRM Origin chainset w/ Dura-Ace chainrings (54/40t crankset, 11-30t cassette) 172.5mm cranks
  • Wheelset: Corima WS Evo 47 disc brake
  • Power meter: SRM Origin
  • Cycling computer: Wahoo Elemnt Bolt
  • Tyres: Michelin Power Cup tubular, 25c (measured width 25.0mm)
  • Handlebar: Look Combo Aero Carbon 38cm handlebar width
  • Stem: Look Combo Aero Carbon, 14cm stem length
  • Seatpost: Look Aeropost 4 Carbon
  • Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Boost Kit Carbonio Pro Team
  • Bottle cages: Elite Leggero Carbon
  • Pedals: Look Keo 2 Max Carbon
  • Weight: 7.53kg