Tour de France workforce set for ‘race-ready airbag skinsuit’ in big transfer for rider security
A Tour de France team is s et to be at the centre of the next step in rider safety as Van Rysel unveiled their Project Airbag – a fully integrated airbag skinsuit
Van Rysel has taken the next steps towards rider safety
The Tour de France is set for its latest jump in rider safety with Van Rysel announcing Project Airbag – a fully integrated airbag skinsuit.
Van Rysel, a clothing company based in Lille who sponsors Decathlon CMA-CGM and Van Rysel-Roubaix, announced the “major step forward in the evolution of rider safety” on the eve of Paris-Roubaix – one of the most dangerous races on the calendar.
The idea is that the suit’s cushioning deploys in 60 milliseconds and is fully integrated, rather than being worn under or over other garments, so riders don’t have to compromise their aero gains.
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The suit’s protection is focused on the rib cage and thorax, stabilisation of the neck and spine protection, and the current version is already functional and is in final validation with professional riders ahead of potential race deployment.
Dominique Serieys, Decathlon CMA CGM’s General Manager, said: “Professional cycling is getting faster and faster, which makes protecting our riders an absolute necessity. The airbag developed by Van Rysel is a true technological breakthrough.
“It is crucial to understand that a rider who feels safe is relieved of mental load: this peace of mind is a genuine performance gain.
“Thanks to the exceptional attentiveness of the Van Rysel teams and the expertise of In&motion, we are now beginning testing with the riders to fine-tune the technology as much as possible, so that we can one day use it in racing.”
While Van Rysel’s product manager, Jocelyn Bar, compared it to the introduction of helmets 20 years ago: “Behind every race number, there’s a human being, and sadly, it is still widely accepted that a rider can lose everything in a fraction of a second due to a crash.
“At Van Rysel, this is a fact we no longer want to accept. What helmets represented 20 years ago, we think Airbag can represent today, but now, we’re looking beyond the head; we need to protect as much of the body as we can.”
