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Are these sunglasses too weird even for triathletes?

Are shades the next frontier on the aero front?

We’ve seen lots of crazy aero helmets appear on the heads of cyclists looking for the slightest edge over the years. Lionel Sanders recently proved that shaving your legs will make you faster, too.

Triathletes have always embraced any technology that might make them faster, regardless of the looks, but this might be too much, even for those willing to go to any length to save some time.

Are shades the next frontier on the aero front? Dutch national cycling champion seems to think so.

For the first sprint stage of the Tour de France, the Jayco AlUla rider donned some specially designed sunglasses from the team’s sponsor, Scicon, which according to reaction on social media were either “a beak,” something Batman would wear, or the company’s version of the game “Angry Birds.”

According to interviews Groenewegen gave about the sunglasses, the idea is that the nosepiece aids with aerodynamics, similar to Oakley’s Kato and Encoder sunglasses which are designed to sweep the air around the face.

We’re not sure how much of a difference it made, and based on the video below, it looks like the Dutch sprinter got rid of the nose piece for the final sprint in yesterday’s stage.

In the end, though, it would appear that Groenewegen and the team weren’t perturbed by all the comments, and joined in the fun, embracing the “Batman” imagery.

 

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Not sure we’ll see these on any triathletes any time soon, but they certainly  could serve as a sun protector for those long, hot days in the saddle either in Kona or Nice.

Our colleagues at Canadian Cycling Magazine also had some fun checking out the Scicon sunglasses.