On the first true mountain stage of the 2009 Tour de France, all Giro team riders (Astana, Rabobank, Garmin, Caisse d’Epargne) will be racing from Barcelona to Andorra with the new 175 gram Giro Prolight, the lightest production helmet we, or anyone else, has ever built.

A two year long project, the Prolight became an exercise in restraint and proved that less can be more. By intelligently using the lightest materials possible, and by rethinking what riders truly need in a helmet, Giro engineers were able to break the 200 gram threshold.

 “This was a ground-up, no-compromise project. Our primary objective was to build the lightest helmet in the world, but we also made sure it was very well ventilated and super comfortable. Being able to rely on many of our proven technologies like Wind Tunnel ventilation and Superfit, we not only met, but exceeded our goals in developing a truly revolutionary helmet”, said Mike Lowe, Vice President of Research and Development at Giro.

One key, weight saving feature on the Prolight is our new fit system, Roc Loc SL. Built from lightweight, supple webbing material, the self-adjusting system is devoid of unnecessary components. The unique and patented system allows the rider to adjust the helmet in just one simple step.

Rider feedback has been nothing but positive. In a recent pre-Tour Prolight test in Aspen, CO, Levi Leipheimer (Astana) summed the Prolight up in one word; “unreal”.  Other riders have commented that it feels lighter than a baseball hat and that it’s easy to forget that you’re even wearing a helmet at all.

The best part is that the Prolight will be available for purchase from authorized Giro retail partners beginning spring, 2010.

 Stay tuned to www.giro.com for more information.