{"id":244180,"date":"2026-05-19T16:12:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/it-was-more-comfortable-felix-gall-defends-unusual-lack-of-helmet-visor-after-shipping-time-in-giro-ditalia-time-trial\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T16:12:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:12:45","slug":"it-was-more-comfortable-felix-gall-defends-unusual-lack-of-helmet-visor-after-shipping-time-in-giro-ditalia-time-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/it-was-more-comfortable-felix-gall-defends-unusual-lack-of-helmet-visor-after-shipping-time-in-giro-ditalia-time-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;It was more comfortable&#8217; \u2013 Felix Gall defends unusual lack of helmet visor after shipping time in Giro d&#8217;Italia time trial"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-5472c49a-49c6-4793-890a-fc9d24739047\">Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) said there was &#8220;not much more I could have done&#8221; after a bruising time trial at the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Giro d&#8217;Italia<\/a> on Tuesday, but there were question marks over whether he sacrificed time due to his helmet set-up.<\/p>\n<p>The Austrian, who had emerged as <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonas Vingegaard<\/a>&#8216;s (Visma-Lease a Bike) closest challenger in the mountains of the opening week, was one of the worst GC performers in the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-filippo-ganna-smashes-stage-10-individual-time-trial-as-gc-surprises-shake-up-standings\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-filippo-ganna-smashes-stage-10-individual-time-trial-as-gc-surprises-shake-up-standings\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-filippo-ganna-smashes-stage-10-individual-time-trial-as-gc-surprises-shake-up-standings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">42km stage 10 TT<\/a>, conceding 1:22 to Vingegaard and 2:28 to Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos), who has now taken his place in third place overall.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-5472c49a-49c6-4793-890a-fc9d24739047-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Eyebrows were raised as soon as <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/felix-gall\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/felix-gall\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/felix-gall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gall<\/a> rolled down the start ramp wearing a standard pair of sunglasses, instead of the wide visor that usually comes attached to his Van Rysel time trial helmet.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Visors have a clear aerodynamic benefit, especially when paired with ultra-wide modern TT helmets, which are expressly designed to be used with a visor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;It was more comfortable without the visor,&#8221; Gall stated bluntly when asked about the decision after coming to a halt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Still, his response drew criticism from several pundits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;Is time trialling about comfort?&#8221; asked Robbie McEwen in the TNT Sports studio. &#8220;If it&#8217;s uncomfortable but it&#8217;s faster, you do it. Time trialling is uncomfortable, it&#8217;s meant to be, that&#8217;s what it&#8217;s all about. You&#8217;ve got to make every gain you possibly can, and leaving five, 10, or 20 seconds out there unnecessarily is the wrong thing to do.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-BnvRbWHVSWD9E7CyAwVWnL\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-BnvRbWHVSWD9E7CyAwVWnL slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-b39f5b47-cf3e-41f6-8853-4e09c819fd8b\">It is impossible to know how much time or how many watts Gall may have sacrificed by wearing the glasses, or to what extent the added comfort balanced that out. But it was certainly an unusual choice in a sport and a discipline where every last aerodynamic advantage is fought over.<\/p>\n<p>Nevermind the aerodynamics, Gall said the power going through his legs was good.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I looked at the numbers, it was exactly how I wanted to do, yes. I don&#8217;t know about the time, but the legs are definitely there.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was not the most pleasant experience. It was such a long TT, but I did what I could. There was not much more I could have done today. It got super long, after 30 minutes, I tried to hold on, and I did my best.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gall now drops to fourth overall, 2:24 down on race leader Afonso Eul\u00e1lio (Bahrain Victorious), almost two minutes down on Vingegaard, and almost half a minute down on Arensman. He also faces pressure from behind, with <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-o-connor\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-o-connor\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-o-connor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ben O&#8217;Connor<\/a> (Jayco-AlUla) moving to within 24 seconds of his time and Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to within 46 seconds.<\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-45a096b5-63d3-41b0-8391-89ce506b5d5b\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-097028d5-821a-4287-a167-d838df35ddf4\"><em><strong>Who will challenge Jonas Vingegaard at this year&#8217;s Giro d&#8217;Italia? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our coverage of the Corsa Rosa. Enjoy unrivalled reporting from our team of journalists on the ground, including breaking news, analysis, and more, from every stage as it happens, plus access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><em><strong>Find out more<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a><em><strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/it-was-more-comfortable-felix-gall-defends-unusual-lack-of-helmet-visor-after-shipping-time-in-giro-d-italia-time-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) said there was &#8220;not much more I could have done&#8221; after a bruising time trial at the Giro d&#8217;Italia on Tuesday, but there were question marks over whether he sacrificed time due to his helmet set-up. The Austrian, who had emerged as Jonas Vingegaard&#8216;s (Visma-Lease a Bike) closest challenger in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":244181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-244180","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}