There’s a photo that hangs in Look’s HQ of Laurent Jalabert winning stage six of the 1992 Tour de France. It’s the colours in this shot that have inspired the paintwork of the new Ciel du Nord special edition of the Look 795 Blade RS, which the company has launched in a limited run of 167 bikes, matching the length in kilometres of the stage.
The stage marked Jalabert’s first Tour win and took in the Kwaremont, Kreusberg, Muur van Geraardsbergen and other cobbled climbs in Belgium used in the spring classics, and was marked by rain and thunderstorms.
Look describes the colour scheme as "an ode to the red bricks, the unforgiving cobbles, and the unique atmosphere that makes the North the heart of the cycling world". Each Ciel du Nord frame is hand-painted in Nevers, central France, making it a one-off, Look says.
Rather than kitting the bike out with a fancy spec, as is typical for limited-edition bikes, the 795 Blade RS Ciel du Nord has a mid-range spec. Look says this is because the north of France is very much an industrial area, with a history of coal mining and heavy industry, so it’s one of the poorer areas of France.
There’s a Shimano Ultegra 52/36t x 11-34t electronic groupset and Mavic Cosmic S42 Carbon wheels with Continental GP 5000 TLR 28mm tyres, along with Look’s own finishing kit. Look claims a 7.6kg bike weight.
To round out the special edition, each bike comes with a set of Look Keo Blade Ceramic pedals, with its blades matching the bike, a Ciel du Nord jigsaw puzzle and a matching tote bag.
You can purchase the complete Look 795 Blade RS Ciel du Nord bike for £7,290 / €7,690 / $10,700 or the frameset for £4,800 / €4,800 / $6,000.
