Forget Paris-Nice, forget Tirreno-Adriatico, forget Strade Bianche. Only one thing happened this week of note, really, and that was Visma-Lease a Bike debuting their new Giro helmets, and the furore that followed it.
The first inkling came on social media on Monday morning, as the Giro Aerohead II was unveiled for Tirreno's stage one time trial, and it hasn't really stopped all week. The launch was quickly followed by a shot across Giro's bows from the UCI, who announced that they were going to review all time trial helmets, because in their opinion everything was getting too out there.
This probably wouldn't have happened in a pre-social media age, as the UCI's response - or the pace of it - must have at least been influenced by people's reaction on X, on Instagram, and everywhere else. I actually like the innovation, but for so many people this is too much and cycling should look a certain way. What that way is, is less clear. Should riders have to wear woollen jerseys and use steel bikes, too?
Anyway, this dominates this week's social media roundup, thanks to the sheer volume of memes and everything that came out of Visma's new helmet. Bahrain-Victorious wore a silly new lid too, but didn't get half as much attention as the men in yellow; poor Rudy Project.
Elsewhere, there's a lot of fun from Strade Bianche, including Lotte Kopecky's win being missed by the television cameras, teams trying to make the most of boring races, and Magnus Cort and Alison Jackson enjoying Pisa.
1. The clean shaven Julian Alaphilippe didn't lost long. Welcome back, Loulou
🧔♂️"Wait your facial hair came back this quickly ??" @GeraintThomas86 to @alafpolak1, probably - 2024#StradeBianche pic.twitter.com/dzd4uXoffEMarch 2, 2024
2. Poor Lotte Kopecky. Comfortably the best rider at Strade Bianche last weekend, but had her moment of victory ruined by some idiot with a phone. At least Chrisine Majerus made up for it
Congrats @LotteKopecky and the entire @teamsdworx team for this great win @StradeBianche ! Enjoyed my restday very much!! pic.twitter.com/C7enjPoLWwMarch 2, 2024
3. If you're not going to win Strade Bianche, this is the way to go up the Via Santa Caterina. Impressive to take a hand of the handlebars, really.
4. Did anyone have a better day out than Ella Wyllie, though?
5. Meanwhile, Alison Jackson was doing her thing before Strade Bianche. And why not.
6. Jackson was wearing a silly-looking aero helmet in that photo. However, that was not the Helmet of the Week (HOTW), that was Visma-Lease a Bike's Giro thing
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖 𝕀𝕤 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕆𝕟𝕖🔱 #TirrenoAdriatico pic.twitter.com/5DqXPdEhJYMarch 4, 2024
7. It sparked a thousand opinions and a thousand memes, of which Sam Welsford's was possibly the strongest
I quit https://t.co/F4I4Yz5Z7LMarch 4, 2024
8. Is it a helmet? Is it a hair thingy? Is it a train? Nobody was quite sure
Grandes las peluquerías digievolucionando pic.twitter.com/uTakJiyMVdMarch 4, 2024
9. It's the old switcheroo
On the one hand you've got a unit that can thunder along between two cities at a ridiculous speed, and on the other you've got an InterCity 125 (Tim de Waele/@GettySport) pic.twitter.com/ilUZjDEYD0March 4, 2024
10. J'adore l'art
Selbstportrait als Napoleon, by Maria Lassnig, 1997, 📸 via @ParisNice https://t.co/qlvL7d7tW3 pic.twitter.com/AhN2w35FznMarch 5, 2024
11. Meanwhile, feel for the poor social media managers who feel like they have to post something, even when *nothing* is happening
🇫🇷 #ParisNice Things are calm in the peloton, where Olav is having a good chat. 😉Still no breakaway yet. 🏁 115 km pic.twitter.com/jqljrAmQqTMarch 4, 2024
12. Speaking of social media managers, wouldn't it be bizarre if there was a picture of Steven Kruijswijk in the Louvre? Not even the Rijksmuseum. The Louvre!
🇮🇹 #TirrenoAdriaticoHang it in the Louvre. 🖼️ pic.twitter.com/Vjqfc27jfOMarch 5, 2024
13. Good point, well made
Why is the Lotto Dstny Development Team not called Dstny's Childs?March 2, 2024
14. Some Uno-X riders are better at posing than others
15. Meanwhile, Alison Jackson has it set perfectly
16. Is Jeremy Vine x CyclingMikey the crossover event of the century?
See if you can guess who this is pic.twitter.com/aaSeHzGckcMarch 5, 2024
17. And, finally... if Paris-Roubaix is this wet, then we might be in for an epic
