Think iconic climbs and France’s Alpe d’Huez is, ahem, right up there. Think iconic bike brands, French marques in particular, and Look deserves a well-earned place in anyone’s shortlist. The two seem natural bedfellows, destined to go together as deliciously as croissants et confiture, croustade et pommes and, hmm, Time and Alpe d’Huez. More on that last one later.
Huez, a commune in the French Western Alps, is home to the legendary Alpe d’Huez climb as well as the ski resort where, in 1960, Look founder Jean Beyl, after breaking a leg on the slopes, dreamt up an innovative ski binding that subsequently inspired the brand’s pioneering clipless pedal design. The association between Look and Alpe d’Huez was further cemented when Greg LeMond won a crucial stage of the 1986 Tour de France on the climb, riding the revolutionary KG 86 frame, arguably the first to incorporate carbon fibre tubes successfully.
