Daniel Felipe Martínez won the final time trial of the Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta on Sunday, but the real story was some of the new aero lids. The race was notable as well as British rider Tom Pidcock had a dramatic near-crash that saw him round a corner and almost bite it.
Somehow, he used his off-road skills to save it, and rode the wall before getting back on the road. But it would cost him some serious time. The Ineos Grenadiers rider would finish 19th on Sunday’s fifth stage Spain. That saw him drop from first overall to seventh in GC.
He was also wearing the new style of aero helmet which seems to be all the rage these days.
Damn, that helmet is almost bigger than Pidcock! #VAlgarve2023 pic.twitter.com/3iKKdge1zb
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) February 19, 2023
You may remember the Specialized helmet with the very unique neck fastener from the Tour de France in 2022. That got plenty of commments, but apparently it’s one of the quickest aero helmets out there.
“aero neck sock on… space age helmet on top of that” saying out loud what we’re all thinking #voltaaoalgarve pic.twitter.com/HChsXGmEuY
— emma 🏳️🌈 (Theo Reinhardt Ultra) (@cyclartist) February 19, 2023
Not every rider opted to use the “neck sock,” however.
📝 REPORT:
Nils Politt takes a strong 9th place in Volta ao Algarve’s final time trial 👏🏼Read more here 👉 https://t.co/ztoZZGxObR
📸: @sprintcycling pic.twitter.com/fJuHSM4Aj0
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) February 19, 2023
But the Norwegian ProTeam, Uno-X defintely turned some heads when they showed up to the final test, a 24.4 km event in Lagoa. Their helmet sponsor is also Norwegian, named Sweet Protection. According to the team, the brand was established in 2000. It creates helmets and eyewear for cyclists, paddlers and ski and snowboarders. You can check the SP aero lid, and many more, below.
🎥Volta ao Algarve – Stage 5 – Video highlights #valgarve2023 pic.twitter.com/CiJ7NmBvS3
— Volta ao Algarve (@VoltAlgarve) February 19, 2023
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…