Yesterday, the Vismap-AG2R team made their debut with a new Giro TT helmet in the time trial at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, while Bahrain-Victorious riders were spotted with prototype Rudy Project TT lids. This is not the first time we’ve seen some eye-catching TT helmets in WorldTour teams, so when will the UCI step in and address these unconventional designs?
The Vismap-AG2R team unveiled the new Giro TT helmet yesterday during the time trial at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, dazzling global cycling enthusiasts. Bahrain-Victorious cyclists also wore Rudy Project’s prototype TT helmets. It’s not unprecedented to see striking TT helmets in WorldTour squads, but will the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) eventually regulate these unusually shaped helmets?
At the start of this year, Vismap-AG2R announced a partnership with Giro, naming the brand as their official helmet sponsor for the next three seasons.
In 2016, Giro released the widely popular Giro Aerohead TT helmet, hailed as “the fastest ever.” Now, Paul Martens, Vismap-AG2R’s equipment manager, teased the new Giro Aerohead 2.0 in a video on “foreign social media,” suggesting it might outperform its predecessor.
This has certainly sparked curiosity among cycling enthusiasts, but it’s just one among many comically aerodynamic designs. Last year, Uno-X introduced a Star Wars-inspired Sweet Protection Redeemer 2Vi MIPS helmet, claiming to set new standards in aerodynamics.
Now, the Aerohead 2.0 makes the classic Poc Tempor TT helmet seem compact by comparison. Have aerodynamic helmets stretched the limits too far, perhaps?