Jokes and pranks broke out on the 4th in the tourist town of Lido de Camaiore, where the Tirreno Adriatico starts. At the start of the time trial, Visma is shown all of its parts wearing a “galactic” helmet.from “Star War”, who was unable to speak to everyone present.
The reason for the debate is the helmet Giro Aerohead II, shark fin shape. “Dear UCI, I never thought I would say this, but I want you to ban something, and maybe hire an aesthetic director to save our sport,” commented the former cyclist. Daniel Lloyd.
lThe UCI has yet to create an aesthetics committee, but so far it has banned the Specialized TT5 model which includes the so-called ‘stocking’, considering it an “insignificant” element. And, for now, the new Visma hull is pending review.
The fact is that the Giro Aerohead II caused initial surprise, funny comments, without technical foundations, but those laughs, warned the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, “they will soon end once the benefits are proven for the time trial” of new cycling accessories.
As is often the case with many new technologiessuch as the recent addition of disc brakes, there are skeptics, supporters and detractorss, but, usually, in the end they are integrated into the market and each manufacturer seeks maximum profitability.
The result was not accompanied by novelty at its premiere
surprisingly, The debut of the helmet in Tirreno Adriatico did not bring the most results for Visma cyclists, because none of them are among the best. With a regular helmet, the best in the time trial was Spaniard Juan Ayuso, who was 22 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, 48 seconds ahead of Van Baarle and 58 seconds ahead of Uijtdbroeks.
According to Mathieu Heijboer, performance director of Dutch team Visma Lease a Bike, “This is a project that has been underway for more than a year.and was born with the goal of creating a better time trial helmet than last year.
The technician explained that the helmet “it is specially designed to sit in an aerodynamic position”which adds the advantage of having more visibility, by having a larger visor.”
Heijboer pointed that out “The helmets are custom made for each cyclist, and clearly comply with UCI regulations,” although this statement caused doubts among various experts when they saw it for the first time, both because of its length, with a greater distance than usual between the visor and the face of the cyclists, and the width, which is an important element, because “that allows no space between the head and the body, meaning there is an end to the aerodynamic disturbances in the neck.”
Accountant: “The amateur looks at aesthetics, the professional at performance”
For the former cyclist Alberto counterthe only Spanish winner of the Tour, Giro and Vuelta, “evolution must be allowed, you cannot be square.”
“The helmet revolution must be taken seriously. Although there are things that are difficult to understand, You have to evolve the bike and everything, as happens in Moto GP or Formula 1. Yes The helmet improves aerodynamics, I’ll wear it. When you retire, you can look at aesthetics, but as a professional, you look at performance,” Contador commented from the Eurosport microphones.
Better aerodynamics, more vision, safer
ANDThe Giro Aerohead helmet looks like a product evolved from skiing, As told to Wielerflits, BertBlocken, professor of construction physics at KU Leuven, expert in aerodynamics, and advisor to Jumbo-Visma until last year, although in his statements he specified that he did not participate in this project.
“Design is based, consciously or unconsciously, on in helmets used in speed skiing. They are there huge helmet that covers not only the head, but also the shoulders and part of the back. I think it’s a very good idea to use this technique and I think the Giro helmet is clearly based on it,” said the expert.
Blocken considers that The larger size of the helmet does not imply excessive and unnecessary weight, because the internal insulating material to absorb shocks is very light, and it cannot be an additional problem in the case of side winds.
What is the highlight of Blocken is “With connections close to the shoulders, close to the back is really positive. Helps keep your head in the position it should be based on wind tunnel testing. It may be a bit stiff, but in a perfect time trial your head should not move.
The protuberance in front of it is also highlighted, which helps to combine the area of the head and hands when placed on the handlebar extensions, but at the same time increasing visibility. And the position of the time trialists is starting to cause safety problems as their field of vision is very limited and can cause serious accidents as a result.
He the new helmet will not come to the Paris Olympicsbecause according to UCI regulations All the new material should have been tested in some competition until the World Cup in Glasgow and it didn’t happenand does not appear on the list of authorized material.
Therefore, Giro Aerohead II helmets will not be on display at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodromebut it certainly won’t be long before they hit the velodromes with the usual top teams.
He The helmet released by Visma weighs 450 gramsis designed for triathlete and time trial specialist looking for a balance between aerodynamics and cooling performance. It has an effective aerodynamic design, with a lightweight polycarbonate outer shell.
The Ventilation and internal Wind Tunnel™ ducts keep you cool when the action is on. Aerohead™ MIPS has a unique visor that offers an unrestricted field of view and unmatched clarity. The visor is held by a magnet and can also be attached to the helmet when not in use. It is equipped with the MIPS system to deflect the impact of energy and provide more protection in certain situations.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
