The UCI gives the green light to the controversial helmet of Visma-Lease a Bike

After thoroughly reviewing the design and features of the spectacular time trial helmet that Giro has built for Visma-Lease a Bike, the UCI approves its use during this 2024 season, although it expresses its concern and states that it will undertake a review of the regulations regarding time trial helmets.

Green light for Visma-Lease a Bike to use their futuristic time trial helmet

A couple of weeks ago, during the time trials of Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice, the Visma-Lease a Bike team was on everyone's lips after using an innovative time trial helmet in both races, manufactured by the prestigious brand Giro, a brand that joined the sponsors of the Dutch team at the beginning of the season but with which the team had been working on the design of this helmet for some time.

Although the brand has stated that the design of this new helmet, which extends forward to achieve better wind penetration and widens at the back to adapt to the shape of the cyclist's shoulders in a time trial position and the line of the back, fully complies with the size limitations established by the UCI, the highest cycling body initiated an investigation to ensure that everything complied with the regulations.

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Now, after these last two weeks, the UCI confirms that the use of this innovative time trial helmet is completely legal and authorizes its use until January 17, 2025. During this year, the helmet should be released to the public so that it receives, from that date, the definitive authorization for use.

In any case, the UCI has expressed its concern that manufacturers are increasingly focusing on the aerodynamic design of helmets and fears that they may overlook the safety they should offer. However, from the beginning, both the team and Giro have stated that this new helmet complies with all current regulations, including those related to safety in the event of an impact.

However, despite giving the green light to this helmet, the UCI has already announced that it will undertake a review of the regulations regarding time trial helmets, which will likely mean putting a stop to this type of design, something that takes us back to the 90s when the UCI abruptly halted the evolution of time trial bikes of that time when the designs, with increasingly strange monocoque frames, threatened, according to the UCI, to make these bikes lose the essence of what these machines were supposed to be.