All WorldTour teams have choices of traditional and aero road helmets
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BMC and Katusha riders are wearing Giro's new and unreleased Vanquish MIPS aero helmet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The center strip of the Bullet can be moved up for more ventilation or down for better aerodynamics(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
BBB also has a variety of road helmet options for its riders(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
MET lids abound at the Tour(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Most MET helmets are clearly branded as such(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
And some are not(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Manta is MET's most aero helmet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The R 10 is the latest lid from the Basque bicycle brand (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The R 10 comes with a snap-on cover for weather, and Orbea claims the narrow design makes it competitive with aero road helmets in terms of wind drag(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Bahrain-Merida is using Rudy Project's latest Racemaster helmet, and has the option to use the brand's Boost 01 aero helmet as well(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Giro's Synthe is still a popular lid for riders, with a blend of ventilation and aerodynamics(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Ekoi has a few options for AG2R riders like Romain Bardet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Ekoi offers customization of various helmets on its site for consumers, but not this aero lid worn by Belgian champion Oliver Naesen (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Limar's Ultralight+ helmet is fairly straightforward(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Limar's 007, however, is closer to a time-trial lid than an aero road helmet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Scott's Cadence Plus comes with vent plugs for improving aerodynamics(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The rear of the Cadence Plus(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Like virtually all major helmet brands now, Abus has lightweight/ventilated helmets and aero road helmets(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Instead of Lazer's top-mounted Rollsys adjustment system, the Bullet has a rear dial for aerodynamics(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Lars Bak and his Lotto-Soudal teammates wore the new, adjustable Bullet aero helmet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Lazer-sponsored riders have MIPS helmet choices(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Giro isn't yet talking about the Vanquish, but it looks likely to replace the Air Attack(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Deep channeling abounds inside the Vanquish(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
258g for a medium MIPS helmet is decently light(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Vanquish appears to have two separate foam layers(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Vanquish has substantially larger rear vents than the Air Attack, which likely helps with flow-through ventilation(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet gets bold highlights on his Vanquish(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Bontrager overhauled its Velocis helmet for better aerodyanmics(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The upper black sections are reminiscent of Giro's Synthe (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The rear of Alberto Contador's Velocis(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Velocis is a well-ventilated MIPS helmet(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo riders also have have the aero Ballista for flat stages(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Kask announced this new Valegro helmet on stage 2 of the Tour de France(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Race leader Geraint Thomas and his teammates wore yellow Kask Protones on stage 2(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Following his third place on the stage 1 time trial, Sky's Vasil Kiryienka was in green(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Specialized-sponsored teams have a few lids to choice from(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
German champion Marcus Burghardt opts for the latest S-Works Prevail on stage 2(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
World champion Peter Sagan often races in the S-Works Evade(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Abus Gamechanger is the aero road option from the German brand(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
A new Giro Vanquish aero road helmet popped up at the Tour de France, as did the adjustable Bullet helmet Lazer showed at Eurobike. Kask announced a new Valegro helmet, but Team Sky stuck with their Protone model for stage 2. Here is a look at many of the helmets of the 2017 Tour de France.
Giro Vanquish aero road helmet
Giro gets credit for kicking off the aero road helmet trend five years ago with its Air Attack. While its bowling-ball shape drew mixed reactions, riders and and other helmet brands took notice, and today aero road helmets are very much a thing.
Giro isn't yet talking about the Vanquish, but it looks likely to replace the Air Attack
The new Vanquish is being worn by Katusha-Alpecin and BMC Racing at the Tour. Compared to the round Air Attack, the Vanquish is considerably more elongated, similar to Trek's Ballista or Specialized's Evade.
The Vanquish features heavily sculpted internal air channels, and huge ports at the rear. The big rear center ports in particular are a departure from the Air Attack.
Giro declined to answer any questions about the Vanquish.
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Deep channeling abounds inside the Vanquish
Lazer Bullet adjustable aero road helmet
The Belgian brand Lazer was purchased by Shimano not long ago. For aero helmets, Lazer had the Aeroshell and then removable covers for some of its standard high-end helmets like the Z1.
The centre strip of the Bullet can be moved up for more ventilation or down for better aerodynamics
The Bullet was shown at Eurobike in the fall. A panel in the Bullet's center slides back to open a vent at the forehead and also tilt open Venetian-blind-like slats higher up on the helmet. It is somewhat similar to the Star Pro that Bell launched in 2014.
All of the Belgian squad Lotto-Soudal and some of the LottoNL-Jumbo squad raced the helmet on stage 2 of the Tour.
Kask Valegro lightweight road helmet announced
Team Sky raced in yellow Kask Protones as best placed team in the general classification. (Sky's Vasil Kiryienka wore a green Protone as he held the race's first sprinter's jersey.) But the helmet company on Sunday announced a new race helmet called the Valegro that it said Team Sky will use during the race.
The Valegro is designed for ventilation and light weight. It has 36 vents and Kask claims it has minimal pad-to-head contact.
Kask announced this new Valegro helmet on stage 2 of the Tour de France
Kask claims the Valegro weighs 180g (in an unspecified size).
Kask says the Valegro will be available for sale this December.
Bontrager Velocis gets BOA dial, MIPS liner
Trek just announced a reworking of its Velocis road helmet, which is little more aero than its predecessor, but most notably get a BOA adjustment dial — a first for Bontrager — and a MIPS liner, another first for the brand in high-end road lids.
Bontrager overhauled its Velocis helmet for better aerodyanmics
The helmet did get 20g heavier than the previous one, but Bontrager said the new one is getting close to the company's Ballista in terms of aero performance.
Aero and ventilated choices abound
While some helmet companies may have laughed at Giro's Air Attack years ago, aero road helmets abound today. At the 2017 Tour de France, riders from all the WorldTour teams have a choice between a lightweight helmet and an aero model from their various sponsors.
The R 10 is the latest lid from the Basque bicycle brand
Click through the gallery above for a look at Tour de France helmets from MET, Specialized, Bontrager, Kask, Lazer, Abus, BBB and more.
