– It’s laughable, says reigning world champion Remco Evenepoel to Belgian Sporza. Tempo programs have been the big talking point in the cycling world this week. When Visma-Lease a Bike published a photo of its new time programs from the Giro before the opening stage on Monday in Tirreno-Adriatico, it took off on social media. The following day, the International Cycling Union (UCI) issued a press release. There they expressed concern about the development of pace helmets. They believe that development has been based more on performance than security. At the same time, it emerged that the manufacturer Specialized’s controversial “main sock”, which has been used for the temp programs of, among others, Remco Evenepoel’s team, Soudal-Quick-Step, will be banned from 2 April this year. REACTS: Remco Evenepoel. Photo: AP That is what Evenepoel is now reacting to. – They accepted the helmet two years ago, and now they ban it. It feels a bit like they are playing with us, says the Belgian. The manufacturer Specialized says in a statement to GCN that they are disappointed by the decision. – The decision has a big impact on the riders and our teams who have spent a lot of time preparing with equipment that has been approved by the UCI, says head of helmets at Specialized, Alex Jerome. The new temp programs for Visma-Lease a Bike create discussions in the cycling world. Just days after launch, it may now end up being banned. – Vicious circle The reason why the head sock is now banned is that the UCI has come to the conclusion that the integrated head sock is an element that is categorized as “unnecessary”. By removing the main sock from the helmet, the helmet can still be used. news’s cycling expert, Sondre Sørtveit, understands that there is frustration among cyclists. – It seems that the UCI is two steps behind all the time. When something new is developed, they come up with a new rule or reformulate an existing rule that prohibits the team from using innovations. It becomes a vicious circle, he says. EXPERT: Sondre Sørtveit. About the specific main sock, he says: – Is that really where the UCI’s resource use should go? It has always been criticized that they are more concerned with controlling the height of the riders’ socks than ensuring safety during the event with dangerous runs, which seem far more important to spend resources on. – The new clothes for the emperor Casper von Folsach is one who works closely to bring out the best equipment. He is a performance coach in the Norwegian professional team Uno-X. There, among other things, he has been involved in the development of the tempo helmet for the team, which received a lot of attention last year: The tempo programs for Uno-X are compared to both Fireman Sam and Darth Vader. Folsach is unsure whether the main sock has a real effect. – To be honest, I feel it is a bit like the emperor’s new clothes. There is no logical reason why it should work. No theoretical explanation has been given as to why it should provide enough improvement, he says. Furthermore, he says he thinks the head sock might have an effect to keep the helmet in place better or to avoid getting sweat on the face. The latter can also be solved with a headband or similar, he believes. In the more general helmet debate, Folsach agrees that performance has increasingly come into focus in the development of helmets. But he refers to it as “completely absurd” to create a distinction between performance and safety. – I don’t understand what world they live in if they (UCI) think that you can separate the two and forget the performance difference in different helmet designs, he says, and continues: – It would be like saying that the primary task of a Formula 1- car is to drive safely through a Grand Prix. Safety is hugely important, but the primary task in both motorsport and cycling is about coming first. news has presented the criticism from Sørtveit and Folsach for the UCI. They refer to the press release they sent earlier this week and state that they will not make any further comment. Will introduce minimum lifespan for rules The Danes are proposing to put rules in place that ensure that you can work with equipment for a long time to come. Preferably with a minimum date before the rules can be changed. – If sponsors cannot feel sure that equipment, which stays within the regulations and which they want to take on to the market, can be used in professional cycling races if the UCI does not like how it looks, then it will draw sponsors away from the sport, predicts Folsach. – The team and their sponsors spend millions on developing new equipment, and if the high gentlemen in Switzerland turn their thumbs down or up, depending on the day, it is not a good solution. Folsach points out that the UCI has recently introduced objective requirements and rules for the design of a helmet and believes it is tragicomic that they have now launched investigations into the regulations. – In the last year, the UCI has finally made a clear rule here. It is objective and cannot be misunderstood. You have a 45 centimeter long, 30 centimeter wide and 21 centimeter high box into which your helmet must fit, he says, and continued: – Beyond that, the helmet must of course be tested and approved with regard to all necessary safety protocols for helmets. It makes sense and everyone has worked from that. If you change that, I think you have a problem, he says. The Brazil manager snorts at the Neymar comparison 00:48 The bicycle helmet is ridiculed 00:44 Absurd World Cup blunder: — What are you doing? 00:29 Scandalous scenes in the World Cup: – Oi! It is extremely dangerous! 00:47 Show more
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