📸 Van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike reconned and raced the Omloop with time trial helmets and caught everyone's attention

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad traditionally marks the start of the spring classics, making it the first big showdown in Flanders that everyone watches closely. Every little detail gets scrutinized—so naturally, the striking helmets of Visma | Lease a Bike caught everyone's attention. The Dutch team already showcased them during their reconnaissance on Friday, and after the team presentation, Wout van Aert and company ultimately decided to race with them.

Visma | Lease a Bike’s helmets made their first appearance on the cobbles Friday, though this distinctive dome-shaped headgear had already been used in races like the Tour of Oman. After Matteo Jorgenson, Tiesj Benoot, Victor Campenaerts, and of course, Van Aert had wrapped up a solid 63-kilometer training ride, the discussion quickly shifted—not to their performance, but to the helmets. Van Aert’s Red Bull variant gave the look some flair, but how about the black-and-yellow domes worn by the rest of the team?

For those paying attention to the recon, Van Aert and his teammates covered all the key sections of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Friday, giving their helmets an immediate test run. They weren’t going full gas, but they did get a feel for the course, riding over the Muur van Geraardsbergen, then onto the Bosberg, before finishing in Ninove. The end result: 63 kilometers at an average speed of 33.5 km/h, making for a "little joyride" of just under two hours.

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Time trial helmet, protection against the cold, or something else?

On Visma | Lease a Bike’s Instagram page, footage was shared of their first meters on the Flemish cobbles. Riders were fully geared up with leg warmers, overshoes, and mittens, but the most striking detail was their helmets. Almost every rider on the team was seen wearing a time trial helmet during the recon. These helmets have fewer air vents, raising the question: was this just a temporary solution against the cold, or was there more to it?

Before the start of Omloop, Van Aert was asked about the helmet. He had already worn it once before in the Volta ao Algarve, but at the team presentation, he was still sporting a regular helmet. "But... I’m going to switch. Everyone keeps asking me about this helmet. In the end, it’s the legs that will decide," he said with a laugh. Let's see how they approach Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

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