Tweets of the week: Helmet-gate, Strade Bianche's 'photo finish' and a wet Paris-Roubaix?

Forget Paris-Nice, forget Tirreno-Adriatico, forget Strade Bianche. Only one thing happened this week of note, really, and that was Visma-Lease a Bike debuting their new Giro helmets, and the furore that followed it.

The first inkling came on social media on Monday morning, as the Giro Aerohead II was unveiled for Tirreno's stage one time trial, and it hasn't really stopped all week. The launch was quickly followed by a shot across Giro's bows from the UCI, who announced that they were going to review all time trial helmets, because in their opinion everything was getting too out there.

This probably wouldn't have happened in a pre-social media age, as the UCI's response - or the pace of it - must have at least been influenced by people's reaction on X, on Instagram, and everywhere else. I actually like the innovation, but for so many people this is too much and cycling should look a certain way. What that way is, is less clear. Should riders have to wear woollen jerseys and use steel bikes, too?

Anyway, this dominates this week's social media roundup, thanks to the sheer volume of memes and everything that came out of Visma's new helmet. Bahrain-Victorious wore a silly new lid too, but didn't get half as much attention as the men in yellow; poor Rudy Project.

Elsewhere, there's a lot of fun from Strade Bianche, including Lotte Kopecky's win being missed by the television cameras, teams trying to make the most of boring races, and Magnus Cort and Alison Jackson enjoying Pisa.

1. The clean shaven Julian Alaphilippe didn't lost long. Welcome back, Loulou

2. Poor Lotte Kopecky. Comfortably the best rider at Strade Bianche last weekend, but had her moment of victory ruined by some idiot with a phone. At least Chrisine Majerus made up for it

3. If you're not going to win Strade Bianche, this is the way to go up the Via Santa Caterina. Impressive to take a hand of the handlebars, really.

4. Did anyone have a better day out than Ella Wyllie, though?

5. Meanwhile, Alison Jackson was doing her thing before Strade Bianche. And why not.

6. Jackson was wearing a silly-looking aero helmet in that photo. However, that was not the Helmet of the Week (HOTW), that was Visma-Lease a Bike's Giro thing

7. It sparked a thousand opinions and a thousand memes, of which Sam Welsford's was possibly the strongest

8. Is it a helmet? Is it a hair thingy? Is it a train? Nobody was quite sure

9. It's the old switcheroo

10. J'adore l'art 

11. Meanwhile, feel for the poor social media managers who feel like they have to post something, even when *nothing* is happening

12. Speaking of social media managers, wouldn't it be bizarre if there was a picture of Steven Kruijswijk in the Louvre? Not even the Rijksmuseum. The Louvre!

13. Good point, well made

14. Some Uno-X riders are better at posing than others

15. Meanwhile, Alison Jackson has it set perfectly

16. Is Jeremy Vine x CyclingMikey the crossover event of the century?

17. And, finally... if Paris-Roubaix is this wet, then we might be in for an epic