UCI bans INEOS' Kask helmet visor for time trials

Inexplicable intervention by the UCI, not because of the decision to ban the aerodynamic appendices of the Kask Aero Pro Visor helmet visor but because the helmet has been practically used for almost a year and they decided to ban it just a few hours before the UAE Tour time trial, leaving almost no time for the team to react.

INEOS Grenadier helmet vetoed hours before the UAE Tour time trial

The beginning of last year was eventful in terms of time trial helmets and even targeted alien helmets like the Visma-Lease a Bike or the Kask Bambino used by INEOS Grenadier with the Aero Pro Visor. However, the only one affected at that time by the decisions of the UCI Technical Committee was the Specialized S-Works TT5 used by Soudal-QuickStep, which was prohibited from using the aerodynamic under-helmet it was designed with.

Now, after almost a year of consideration, the UCI has also vetoed the visor with aerodynamic appendices that Kask added to its Bambino Pro, less than 24 hours before an important time trial.

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Fortunately, the INEOS Grenadiers is a team with muscle and among the equipment sent to the United Arab Emirates they had several units of the standard visor of the Kask Bambino Pro, and that was precisely the solution found by the technicians of the British team.

A change that did not unsettle Joshua Tarling, who achieved a resounding victory with a 13-second lead over the second classified, Swiss rider Stefan Bisseger, and 18 seconds over a certain Tadej Pogacar. Significant differences considering the short 12 kilometers of the time trial.

The UCI relies on the rule that prohibits any non-structural piece that improves aerodynamics: "Clothing cannot modify the rider's morphology and any non-essential element or device, whose purpose is not exclusively to dress or protect, is prohibited." However, it is curious that this helmet was used without any issues throughout the entire 2024 season.