The team time trial of Paris-Nice, which started from the Magny Cours automotive circuit, offered several technical insights: yesterday we talked about the XdS Astana that chose differently colored shoe covers and gloves, today we focus on the Lidl Trek riders who competed with different helmet models.

Explaining the reasons for the choice is Glen Leven, technical support manager of the American team: "Trek ensures us maximum flexibility for time trial helmets, so we had the freedom to choose the most suitable helmet for each cyclist, based on the aerodynamic tests we conducted in recent months. We perform track tests and wind tunnel tests. In track tests, we collect Cda data (average resistance, ed) since the helmet is one of the first parts to come into contact with the wind. Every cyclist is different, so there is no single helmet that is the fastest for everyone. That's why it's important to find the fastest helmet for each cyclist and why you see Lidl Trek cyclists with different helmets in time trials."

The technical discussion goes deeper: "Aerosensor is a team partner and provides us with real-time Cda data. In our tests, cyclists do 10 laps on the track, and we record the average reading of those laps to understand the Cda of each test helmet. After defining the best helmet for each athlete, we make further modifications to adapt it to the ideal position in the wind tunnel. How much savings are we talking about? A significant value. We see changes up to 10 watts, which is really a lot in a long time trial. Why don't we do this with road helmets? The Trek Ballista helmet is a super-fast helmet, and cyclists love it, so there's no point in using anything else. In road races, the body moves much more compared to a time trial where the arms are locked on the extensions, so the helmet doesn't make the same difference. And anyway, we've tested our Ballista helmet against competitor helmets and found that it's one of the fastest on the market."