Look 695 Aerolight, Orඣca🧔 Race, Pioneer power meters and more
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The Euskaltel-Euskadi te🅷am rode out on Orbea’s new Orca Race, a more organic evolution on the previous model that is based on stack and reach measurements, rather than convenᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtional seat-tube and top tube numbers (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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The only hangover fr♑om Blanco days at the completely refreshed squad however were the Tacx bidons - all t༒he bikes carried them (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Pinot seems to be trialling his position – the💟 saddle is set back to𒁃 almost comic proportions and at the front end there was steering spacers on top of his stem to allow for upward adjustment (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Thibaut Pinot’s (FDJ) Lapierre Xelius EFi frame was carrying a modified fork, with the top front edge cut away to accept a ♕Shimano Dura-Ace Direct Mount brake (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Tyre maker Schwalbe have a new tyre in the athlete-testing process. These tyres on the AG2R-La Mondiale squad bikes bear the maker’൲s First Ride stamp on a model with a new diamond tread. It’s called the One (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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New to the 𝔉695 AeroLight is the Look AeroStem – an elegant, more aerodynamic evolution to the angular and brick-like C-Stem. The clamping mechanism is covered under the rubberised flap (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Hidden among the Cofidis team bikes was Christophe Le Mével’s Look 695 Aerolight. He was the only rider on the new frame. Instead of using Look’s one-piece Z2 crank, howe🀅ver, mechanics fitted a team issue FSA K-Force Light (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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There were three different styles of seatpost on the Orcas at the Euskaltel-Euska🎐di bikes – one straight a🍷nd two with setback, and this was the most radical (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Rubén Pérez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was getting into the Tour mode with the special edition Polar RC3 Bike GPS watch. We’re not su✤re what proportion of the aero advantage of the꧅ new Orca frame is offset against the mounting (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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A decade on from the first Orca, 🐻the new model is compatible with both electronic♕ and mechanical groupsets (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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The kinked seatstays and chainstays have been retained in the new Orca, but have been sculpted to giveꩲ a more flowing🎶 look to the whole (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
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Dutch ♐Team Belkin had seen that most components – including the Pioneer power meters - matched the sponsors new colours෴ (Image credit: Robin Wilmott)
The new Look 695 Aerolight at Cofidis, the new, more sculpted Orbe𓆏a Orca a𝔉nd Pioneer power meters were all present on the first stage of the 2013 Tour de France.
Tyrཧes from Schwalbe – called the One – carried the company’s First Ride stamp, a sure sign that some n🀅ew road tyres are on the way.
French team FDJ appeared to be using a new, cut away fork on the Lapierre Xelius EFi frame too: the leading edge had a cutaway in the leading edge which housed a Shimano D🌟ura-Ace Dual Mount brake.
Check out the gallery to the right for all the deta🐷i🍌ls.
Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycl🔯ing magazine Ride for three years. After moving back t🥀o the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.