After causing quite a stir earlier this month when Visma Lease a Bike debuted its radical new helmet at the start of this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice races, the UCI has finally given the nod to approve the space-like-looking Giro Aerohead II.
According to the Belgian newspaper Sporza, the helmet has been approved until January 17, 2025, provided “the prototype must be available for sale to everyone in accordance with the applicable conditions”
The announcement puts things at ease with the Dutch team’s performance manager Mathieu Heijboer, who hit out at the UCI’s initial reaction, saying that it was “driven by emotion” and by “social media reaction.”
“If the UCI has a problem with the design, they should have indicated this when the helmet was submitted for approval,” he said, pointing out that the rules were drawn up a year ago and the team had worked alongside Giro “within those frameworks”.
An official communication from the team added: “First and foremost, the Giro Aerohead ll is a safe helmet, meeting all safety regulations.”
“Safety for our riders is paramount for both Giro and the team. For example, this helmet has a larger visor that allows riders to have better visibility. And MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) provides even better protection. Giro Sport Design developed the Aerohead II to meet all impact test requirements and safety certifications, which applies to all helmets ridden in competition.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.
