RadioShack Leopard Trek riders are wearing a new, unnamed Bontrager helmet at the 2013 Tour de France. Details of the new lid, which has a peak integrated under the padding, are yet to be released.
Weight will depend on size but we're told it will be under 220g – about a 100g improvement on the Oracle. Judging by the design, it looks better ventilated than the current top-of-the-range Bontrager Oracle.
A gaping, rounded central vent is much broader than on the Oracle, and V-shaped vents on either side suggest the new helmet should air well. If the rain starts to fall, expect to see the RadioShack Leopard Trek team attach the colour-coordinated cloth peak under the padding.
The Oracle's one-handed ratchet tightening system appears to have been updated as well. The system, dubbed Headmaster II, now employs a web of straps around the base of the head that can be tightened with the same one-hand dialling system.
We’re told the helmet will be available by September in Europe and later in the year in the US. For more information on Bontrager products see bontrager.com.
Padding is extensive in the new Bontrager helmet