There are some loopy helmets on this yr’s Tour de France, and in biking typically as of late.
Each in commonplace street levels and in time trials, helmet designs have been getting increasingly outlandish for the previous a number of years. It is on the level now the place we’re changing into a bit proof against them; a mannequin that might have as soon as induced downright outrage a couple of years again barely will get a second look now.
After getting over the shock that the Giro Aerohead time trial helmet induced final yr, together with fashions just like the Sweet Protection Redeemer that Uno-X rolled out in 2023, extra commonplace helmet designs these days fail to register.
To that time, the particular purple and white Giro street and time trial helmets that Jonas Vingegaard is sporting throughout this yr’s Tour de France have barely registered to date.
It lastly piqued our pursuits this morning within the Cyclingnews tech group, and we realised none of us knew precisely why the Danish star is sporting a distinct colored helmet to nearly all of his teammates.
The one different rider on the group to put on a distinct helmet is, after all, Wout Van Aert, who wears a helmet painted in RedBull livery as per his private sponsorship cope with the power drink model. Is similar true for Vingegaard’s purple helmet?
After a little bit of digging, we discovered the reply to be… ‘form of.’
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The explanation for the double Tour de France winner’s customized lid is, initially, attributable to a sponsorship deal between Visma-Lease a Bike and the Danish firm Bygma; one of many largest suppliers of instruments, development supplies and {hardware} in Denmark.
You possibly can learn all in regards to the partnership on this press release that was put out by the group in March, with Vingegaard himself describing Bygma as a ‘private and group associate’.
What in regards to the purple and white?
The Bygma firm colors are purple and white, mirroring the Danish nationwide flag colors.
We reached out to the group to ask why it is solely Vingegaard and never the entire group, however the group did not explicitly clarify, however as a Dane, who higher to sport them than Vingegaard himself? Because the group’s star rider and a Tour de France winner, Vingegaard presents the utmost publicity for the sponsor anyway.
Additionally, as a facet be aware, though we all know Lidl-Trek riders and employees do not get to benefit from free groceries at Lidl supermarkets, I do marvel if Vingegaard pops in to his native Bygma within the low season to pickup wooden screws and sandpaper. I purpose to seek out out about this from the group, as a result of the power to take pleasure in complementary hand instruments and DIY provides makes me very jealous.
Added visibility within the bunch?
I will be sincere, I assumed the purple and white helmet was initially to assist visibility within the bunch, in order that his teammates might simply spot and help their captain and expend much less power.
Staff GB observe riders have experimented with totally different colored helmets on the observe for Madison races particularly, to allow them to spot one another extra simply, however it appears this is not the case.
Maybe the distinction does assist riders like Tiesj Benoot and Victor Campenaerts at occasions, however given they spend a lot time driving with the identical folks, we might be shocked if they can not instinctively inform who’s who.
