Tour de France

Tour de France tech: Four custom Giro Aether Spherical helmets

MIPS Spherical meets team graphics in four not-for-sale Giro Aether Spherical helmets.

August 25, 2020 Ben Delaney

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Of the 22 teams at the 2020 Tour de France, four will be wearing Giro helmets. Here is a look at the custom team editions of the Giro Aether Spherical helmet.

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MIPS Spherical is a collaboration between MIPS and Giro to build the rotational-protection design into the shell itself, instead of using an insert. Photo: Ben Delaney

Custom Giro Aether helmets for the Tour de France

Giro has a dedicated aero helmet, the Vanquish, which teams have been racing in this year. The Giro Aether Spherical is the all-around road helmet that builds the MIPS safety system into the helmet itself, instead of using a thin plastic insert that way other MIPS helmets do.

The idea behind MIPS is to allow the head to move slightly inside the helmet in the event of a crash. (MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System.) While the bright yellow MIPS liner has become ubiquitous in the pro peloton, this design can interfere with air flow. So, Giro worked with MIPS to build a helmet that incorporates the rotational movement into the shell itself.

The two pieces of Aether Spherical shell move relative to one another when force is applied. And the massive vents remain unobstructed.

The Aether Spherical sells for between $300 and $350 in ten styles. These team editions are not for sale, but they feature the same construction, just with team graphics and colors.