Top 5 2018 helmets of the pros

Alongside new bikes, components and that bizarre skinsuit from Castelli, there was an array of new helmets on display at this year's Tour de France.

Here are five brand new road race lids.

_{New road cycling helmets for 2018}

1. Kask Valegro

Designed for hot, mountain stages, the Valegro is the latest lightweight and highly ventilated helmet from Italian brand Kask.

Featuring 36 vents and with a claimed weight of 180 grams — in an unspecified size.

As the best placed team since the opening stage, Team Sky had the honour of wearing yellow helmets for each stage of the race and all the way to Paris.

2. MET Trenta 3K Carbon

Debuted by the Dimension Data and UAE teams, the MET Trenta 3K Carbon was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Italian company.

MET claims that a carbon fibre skeleton allows for less EPS foam and thus less weight than a traditional helmet without compromising on absorption capabilities.

With 19 vents and a svelte shape, the Trenta 3K Carbon is somewhere between a traditional ventilated helmet and an aero road helmet.

3. Rh+ Lambo

The Wanty squad used the new rh+ Lambo aero helmet throughout this year’s Tour de France.

Rh+ claims the helmet is inspired by ‘automotive shapes and design’. Clearly the name is a take-off on an automotive brand: Lamborghini

Available with or without MIPS technology, the helmet weighs a claimed 250 grams in size medium.

4. Lazer Bullet

Lazer’s new Bullet is a transformer of sorts, with a large vent at the front that can be slid open and closed to control airflow through Venetian blind-style slats. Slide it down for faster aerodynamics; slide it up for better ventilation.

While ventilation and aero shaping have been prioritised, light weight has not. A size small weighs 315 grams.

The Bullet comes with or without MIPS.

5. Giro Vanquish

Five years ago Giro kick-started the aero road helmet trend with its Air Attack, which other helmet companies initially mocked, and then began to emulate.

This year, Giro put the unreleased Vanquish on the heads of BMC and Katusha racers.

Giro isn’t talking about the Vanquish yet — I only know the name because I looked inside a Katusha helmet — but it looks set to replace the Air Attack, with more vents and an elongated shape.

If the interior sticker is to be believed, a size medium MIPS Vanquish weighs 258 grams.