French brand Bollé is launching its new AVIO MIPS helmet, which prioritises lightness, ventilation and aerodynamics.

Tove Fritzell, Bollé Product & Innovation Director, said “We put a lot of research and development into this project, and the end result of the AVIO MIPS lives up to our expectations.

“It’s light and offers good ventilation to stay cool on the climbs, but it’s also very aerodynamic to be super-fast on the descents. To redefine how performance is measured, we created a visual index showing how advanced it is in all three criteria. We are thrilled with the positive feedback from our athletes and look forward to seeing them wear it on the roads of the Tour de France this summer.”

The last winner of the climber jersey at le Critérium du Dauphiné, Pierre Rolland from B&B Hotels – KTM, said “The first sensation when I took the AVIO in hand was its lightness. When I put it on my head, I felt like I had nothing on, I was touching my head to make sure my helmet was there!

“The weight is extremely well distributed. Then I went riding with it and you don’t feel any disturbance, the aerodynamics and the fit are perfect and you don’t feel hot when you ride. The MIPS technology, which is the most developed in case of impact on the head, is an additional asset.

“All the qualities that we can look for in a helmet are in the Avio. Last but not least is the great combination with the Bollé C-Shifter and Icarus sunglasses which is very harmonious. Aesthetics is also an important criterion after safety and performance.”

In what will be the B&B Hotels – KTM team’s third Tour de France, the riders will be equipped with the AVIO MIPS (RRP £235) and will wear two models of sunglasses from Bollé’s performance range: the C-SHIFTER (RRP starting from £115) and the ICARUS (RRP starting from £115).