A new trend is taking hold in professional cycling in 2025: the use of aerodynamic time trial helmets also in road stages . Confirmation comes from the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia, where Casper van Uden and his Picnic PostNL teammates made this bold choice, being rewarded with a splendid victory.

During the team presentation in Alberobello, the Dutch team wore their regular road helmets. But in the final 5km, when the team appeared at the front, four riders, including van Uden, sported the Lazer Volante KinetiCore visor helmets, usually used in time trials.

A winning choice

Van Uden was perfectly guided around the final circuit in Lecce, with Bram Welten providing the ideal launch to secure the biggest win of his young career. 'The helmets are just faster, so sometimes you have to make choices,' van Uden commented in a press conference. 'It might not be the prettiest look, but I don't care about aesthetics. If it makes you go faster, you just use it.'

Interestingly, van Uden preceded Olav Kooij of Visma-Lease a Bike, one of the pioneering teams in the use of aerodynamic helmets in road races. A trend that began with Wout van Aert.

Valuable UCI points

The win brings 180 vital UCI points to Picnic PostNL, who are having a tough time in their fight to avoid relegation. 'It's nice to take the points, but we have faith in our process,' said van Uden. 'We'll keep working hard and we'll see at the end of the season.'

For the 23-year-old Dutchman, this is a significant step up after minor successes at the ZLM Tour, Rund um Köln and AlUla Tour. 'I won because I really wanted to and the team believed in me. Maybe I need to believe in myself a little more, this victory will help me.'

Whether it’s the aero helmets or the increased confidence, Picnic PostNL has found the right formula to return to success in 2025. We expect to see both the time trial helmets and van Uden back in the next sprint, probably on stage 6 to Naples.