Giro will debut a new time trial helmet at the Tour de France. The lid, which is still at the development stage, is shorter than the one Lance Armstrong tested in the San Diego wind tunnel last November.
"There will be a handful of Giro-sponsored riders debuted the new time trial helmet at the prologue July 4, include Lance," Giro's US brand manager Kevin Franks told BikeRadar. "Several more riders will be using the new helmet during the team time trial in Montpellier July 7."
The helmet remains as yet unnamed, an indicator of its early development stage, and carries the project code ‘G-284-TT’.
Aerodyanmic guru and longtime collaborator Steve Hed (L) with Armstrong in San Diego last November
"Based on extensive wind tunnel and ride testing, we can report that the new Giro time trial helmet debuting on Giro-sponosred riders tomorrow in Monaco is the fastest TT helmet in the world," Franks added. "The helmet is considerably faster than any other helmet in zero degree yaw situations, and remarkably faster in 5-, 10-, and 15-degree yaw situations.
"Giro feels this helmet represents a paradigm shift in aerodynamic helmet technology."
According to Franks, the new helmet will become available to consumers sometime in 2010.
A video outlining some of the new helmet’s development in collaboration with the Kirsten Wind Tunnel staff at the University of Washington can be seen here.