The new helmet rule says that you have to use a helmet and can only go without a helmet if its a mountain top finish. Well, at least, that what I hear.
Now, the helmet rule was enforced for safety reasons, and as such, it should be a certified helmet meaning that there should be at least 1" of foam, right…?
What about time trial helmets that are actually more for aeroness rather than safety…? (e.g. Lance’s Giro helmet) Doesn’t that mean that everyone has to wear a LG Prologue helmet in TT stages…?
Just check the latest Giro d’Italia pictures. Everyone is still using the thin plastic shell “helmets”. That rule applies solely for mass-start events, I suppose.
A friend of mine who is a UCI commissaire told me that his interpretation of the rule was that it would exclude TT fairings - “real” helmets would be required. That said, he he didn’t know if it would be inforced that way, at least this season; he was preparing for a trip to europe to officiate a couple of stage races, and expected to know better when he returned.
The thing to remember is that this rule is very much a last minute thing, and the details haven’t been worked out yet. Look for clarification from the UCI as the season progresses, and issues like this become apparent.