The 2003 Paris-Nice cycling classic, second stage. The peloton is on the move, the route in this section is flat, there are only 40 kilometres to the finish. Suddenly, Cofidis pro Andrej Kivilev collides with two other riders, flies over the handlebars of his racer and hits the ground head first - without a helmet. Kivilev is immediately unconscious and dies shortly afterwards from his severe head injuries. Following this incident, the UCI finally makes helmets compulsory for professional cyclists in races. Cofidis' team doctor Jean-Jacques Menuet is convinced: "A helmet would have significantly reduced the severity of the injuries. Kivilev's skull fracture was in a place that would have been protected by the helmet."
The use of a cycling helmet has long been a matter of course for most dedicated road cyclists. Shoes on, goggles on, helmet on: this triad is part of the ritual of every training session. The idea of protection has taken on such a life of its own that many things are taken into account when buying a helmet - design, weight, colour, fit, strap system - while the most important criterion, namely protection of the head in the event of a fall, is tacitly assumed. After all, this is what the various test seals stand for.
You can find these helmets in the PDF download:
Bell Sweep R, Giro Atmos, MET Stradivarius 2, Specialised Decibel, Uvex FP 1
(Texts: Carola Felchner, Tobias Krug, Photos: Daniel Simon)
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