The Visma-LAB believes that the UCI has been influenced by people's reaction to their new helmet

Just two days ago, Visma-LAB broke the internet with the public presentation of their new Giro time trial helmet. Its excessive aesthetics sparked all kinds of comments and jokes among fans, but the UCI did not stay out of the commotion and yesterday wanted to take center stage by issuing a statement warning that they were going to review this new model to assess its prohibition. A statement that did not sit well with the team.

Visma-LAB does not understand why the UCI had not said anything until now about their new helmet

As is known, all the technological innovations that we see for the first time in competition have a long development behind them of months or years for the brands. During that period, they ensure that their innovations comply with the current UCI regulations and it is the organization itself that is responsible for giving its authorization, or not putting obstacles, for it to be used in competition.

In that context, the helmet manufacturer Giro along with the Visma-LAB team had been developing and testing the new time trial helmet they showed to the public this same week for almost a year. Vingegaard himself said that he was also surprised when he saw it for the first time months ago but forgot about its appearance when he realized how fast he was with it. It has not been proven that its use gives a competitive advantage, Visma-LAB was only sixth in their first time trial with it, but what the team does confirm is that during all that time the UCI, having presented the model for approval, had nothing to say until yesterday.

This is how surprised the team's performance director Mathieu Heijboer was after the UCI's statement:

"A year ago, rules were established regarding dimensions and safety. Within those frameworks, we and the helmet manufacturer Giro started working." "It is quite surprising that this statement comes now. It is driven by all the reactions on social media. I have no problem with internet jokers. But if the UCI has a problem with the design, they should have indicated it when the helmet was presented for approval."

Regarding the possibility of the helmet being banned in competition, Heijboer is convinced that something like that could happen after in the same statement where the UCI pointed out their helmet, they banned the neck gaiter that Specialized has been using for a couple of seasons alongside their time trial helmet: "Now it seems that is an option. We have seen it with a Specialized helmet that has been used in the World Championship."