New helmet to be debut’d by Specialized sponsored riders in Tour de France prologue
Following on from its highly successful version of the Venge frameset, the partnership between US bike maker Specialized and British Formula 1 team McLaren continues with the introduction of a new time trial helmet. The new helmet, dubbed the “S-Works + McLaren TT Helmet” unveils what Specialized calls “a new chapter in our aerodynamics textbook”, and the California company claims that it is “the fastest aerodynamic cycling helmet in the world.”
The new helmet will be debut’d at the Tour de France prologue in Liège, Belgium, this afternoon, worn by a number of Specialized’s sponsored riders.
“When we first developed the Venge, we invested in a significant amount of wind tunnel testing,” reads the Specialized statement. “Those results paid off in dramatic victories, from its debut victory at Milan San Remo, to [Tom] Boonen’s recent win at Gent Wevelgem.
“Compared to the Venge, the S-Works + McLaren TT Helmet saw over double the investment in wind tunnel time alone. Through collaboration with McLaren, we have adopted new and better ways of interpreting data from the tunnels and from CFD analysis. Together, we were able to apply F1-winning aerodynamic knowledge and expertise to the unique needs of professional cycling, with the goal of making racers faster by reducing one of their greatest obstacles: air itself.”
The S-Works + McLaren Venge made a dream start by winning the 2011 edition of Milano-Sanremo under Australian Matt Goss, and Specialized has a number of its biggest names wearing the new helmet as it aims for a similarly perfect debut.
Riders to be wearing the Specialized S-Works + McLaren TT Helmet include:
Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Tony Martin
Levi Leiphiemer
Saxo Bank
Chris Anker Sørensen
Nick Nuyens
Astana
Alexander Vinokourov
Jani Brajkovic