Tweets of the week: Brutal weather at Flèche, an idiot sandwich and is there a new POC helmet?

There's a lot of love for Kasia Niewiadoma, and it turns out Norwegians are good in bad weather

Kristen Faulkner at the Tour of Flanders, with social media posts overlaid
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Riders being human billboards is nothing new. Ever since the 1960s, professional cyclists have raced emblazoned with their sponsors, from coffee machine makers to nation states, via Belgian home improvement companies.

Of course, as well as advertising the title sponsor, riders are advertising their kit as well, their bike, shoes, kit, sunglasses and helmets. Usually, this is done reasonably subtly; by wearing them and riding well in them, they're getting much of the attention they need.

The Swedish brand brought their new helmet, the Procen Air, out this week after not particularly hiding it very well for months. The aero helmet comes with a visor and certainly stands out, but with its official launch, many of the riders of EF's men's and women's teams took to social media to sing their praises.

I saw Kimberly Cazdow, the New Zealander, do it first, but then couldn't stop seeing it, from Alberto Bettiol to Alison Jackson. I suppose that's one way of hard launching a helmet, and it certainly stuck out to me - although I won't be rushing to buy one, yet.

That was my favourite thing on social media this week, but elsewhere, we had Lorena Wiebes referencing a Gordon Ramsay meme, Juanpe López kicking a football, and some very, very cold riders at La Flèche Wallonne.

1. Gary Barlow was delighted with GB's showing at the Track Nations Cup in Milton, which is nice

2. Pierre Rolland, retired as a professional cyclist, is trying to become the world's first wind-biker. Please support his efforts

3. Lorena Wiebes isn't the first rider to lose a race by celebrating early, but she might have the best nails, and be the first to reference Gordon Ramsay

4. Tom Pidcock: "WTF"

5. Uno-X seemed like the only team properly prepared for the weather at La Flèche Wallonne. Classic Norwegians

6. Michał Kwiatkowski felt drunk, he was so cold in Belgium

7. Valentin Madouas aged 40 years, such was the weather

9. His compatriot Dorian Godon went from feeling great to terrible on the Mur de Huy. It's happened to the best, don't worry.

10. Reprising their double act from the Tour Down Under, Sam Bewley and Daryl Impey are Stevie Williams' biggest hype men

11. Stevie Williams is Welsh, in case you hadn't realised

12. Meanwhile, there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Kasia Niewiadoma took her victory in La Flèche Wallonne. There almost couldn't be a more deserving winner

13. Maybe some training on high fives needs to happen at the next Coop-Repsol training camp

14. There aren't many cyclists who are good at football, but Juan Pedro López bucks that trend. Vamos Betis!

15. And finally, here's a taste of the not-so-subtle advertising from POC this week

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.