Tour de France cycling helmet: How to ride like the pros?
The Tour de France is more than just a race. It’s an open-air laboratory where every piece of equipment is put to the test, stage after stage, in all conditions. Riders in the peloton have no room for error. For us, this competitive demand is exactly what drives our design process. We offer you the very same helmets worn by the pros, designed for the road and your greatest cycling adventures.
Why is the Tour de France the ultimate reference for testing a road cycling helmet?
Three weeks, over 3,000 kilometres, around twenty teams on the start line: every stage of the Tour puts equipment through the most varied conditions imaginable. Flat-out sprints, Alpine climbs under a blazing sun, descents at over 80 km/h and time trials in the rain: a road cycling helmet must cope with it all, without ever failing.
It’s in this extreme environment that we have forged our expertise in cycling helmets. Our partnership with the Groupama-FDJ team, a UCI WorldTour squad, was born from a shared ambition, to co-develop the best road helmet on the market. Every detail has been validated in the wind tunnel and in the field, season after season, by riders who leave nothing to chance. The result? A helmet designed for protection, aerodynamics and comfort, whatever the conditions.
Wearing a helmet has been compulsory in the professional peloton since 2003, according to UCI regulations. This rule is now a given for all cyclists. For us, it has been so for much longer still.
Which helmets do we wear in the Tour de France peloton?
Our range of road cycling helmets revolves around two families: high-performance models born directly from our collaboration with the professional team, and comfort-ventilation models, designed for everyday rides as well as big stages.
The FINISHER EVO is our high-end road helmet, co-developed with the Groupama-FDJ team. It made its debut in the peloton during the 2024 Tour de France, featuring the white structure that is a trademark of the French squad. Its detachable SpeedSHELL cover offers unique versatility: well ventilated for climbs, aerodynamic for sprints. Its MIPS® Air Node technology delivers advanced protection against multidirectional impacts, integrated discreetly and lightly from the design phase. Finally, its Eyewear Storage System allows you to store sunglasses securely, without the arms interfering with helmet fit, a detail that makes all the difference on a long stage.
The FAST LANE is our benchmark in ventilation. Lightweight and well-ventilated thanks to 20 strategic vents, it’s the ideal companion for climbers and long summer rides. Its Fidlock® magnetic buckle offers quick and intuitive fastening that can be managed with one hand. It has also been worn during the Étape du Tour by pro athletes such as biathletes Emilien Jacquelin and Antonin Guigonnat, proving its versatility on the road.
For cyclists seeking an accessible entry point to our road range, the SPRINT offers a well-ventilated and affordable balance, with an AirFlow ventilation system and the comfort of Coolmax padding.
Which technologies make a difference in our cycling helmets?
On a Tour stage or on your Sunday ride, the technical details of a helmet are crucial. They determine your comfort in the third hour of effort, your protection in the event of a fall, and your performance against the wind. Here’s what sets our road cycling helmets apart:
- MIPS® Air Node technology: advanced protection against multidirectional impacts, ultra-lightweight and integrated from the design phase
- Detachable SpeedSHELL cover: one helmet for every condition, from summer to winter, from mountain passes to time trials
- Roll Cage structure: internal reinforcement allowing large ventilation openings, while maintaining maximum protection
- 360° Julbo Fit System: circular and vertical occipital adjustment for a personalised fit on all head shapes
- Fidlock® magnetic buckle: quick fastening, even on the move, even with gloves
All these technologies have been validated in real WorldTour conditions before being offered in our consumer range. For us, the road always comes before the catalogue.
What does the partnership with the Groupama-FDJ team bring to amateur cyclists?
Supplying a professional team means being compelled to produce products that cannot fail. Since 2023, we have equipped the Groupama-FDJ team with helmets. Since 2024, all riders in the structure, both UCI WorldTour and continental teams, have worn our helmets for every event in the international calendar.
Every piece of feedback from the team directly fuels our product development. The heads of WorldTour riders have been scanned to define the three morphotypes that form the basis of our sizing. Data gathered in the wind tunnel is built into our design processes. The expertise accumulated since 1888 flows through every detail of the FINISHER EVO as well as the FAST LANE. You also benefit from the advances born on the roads of the Tour.
Whether you’re preparing for a stage of the Tour as an amateur, riding your road bike at the weekend, or looking to improve your performance on local rides, our helmets are designed to take you further. The road lies ahead, seize it.
Browse our full range of road cycling helmets and also discover our cycling sunglasses for complete kit in peloton colours.
