Van Rysel tests integrated airbag skinsuit in push for safer racing

Well this is something. There’s been lots of chatter lately about improving safety for road pro cyclists–with several riders suggesting that clothing can be modified in the case of a crash. Everything from padded shorts to airbags has been thrown around. But perhaps it’s something that we might see in tri some day? Look at Justin Riele’s brutal crash at Oceanside.

Now, it seems like bike brand Van Rysel has taken a significant step into rider safety with a prototype skinsuit that might just do it. It basically builds an airbag directly into your race kit, rather than treating protection as an add-on.

Project Airbag

The Lille-based brand’s “Project Airbag” is already functional and now being tested with professional riders. The aim is to bring it into competition once final validation is complete.

It’s a response to a problem the sport hasn’t solved: crashes aren’t going away, and neither are the injuries that come with them.

Van Rysel présente un prototype d’une combinaison avec airbag intégré, afin de renforcer la sécurité des coureurs. Le projet va entrer dans une phase de tests, avec par exemple les coureurs de Decathlon CMA CGM qui vont l’utiliser à l’entraînement. pic.twitter.com/RtFO88SqYu

— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) April 10, 2026

Lots of ideas have been thrown around to help with what seems a never-ending list of crashes in pro cycling. More barriers, gear restrictions, shallower rims–basically slowing their bikes. But still, falling is an inevitable part of racing.

At the WorldTour level, severe injuries like fractures, affect roughly one in five riders each season.
That’s….a lot.

The dangers in pro racing

Over the past six years, according to Van Rysel, more than 1,300 fractures have been recorded in pro racing. It’s a number that continues to trend upward as speeds increase.

The idea here seems simple.

Instead of layering protection under or over a skinsuit, Van Rysel has built the system into the suit itself. The current version weighs about 700 grams in total. The airbag accounts for most of that, still notably lighter than similar systems used in MotoGP.

Developed with airbag specialist In&motion, the system deploys in around 60 milliseconds. It relies on algorithms trained on hundreds of millions of kilometres of movement data, constantly analysing rider dynamics to distinguish between normal race situations and a crash.

When triggered, it targets three key areas: the chest and ribs, the neck, and the spine. Those zones were identified as the most critical through crash data and medical research, especially since helmets already cover the head.

The suit also uses abrasion-resistant fabrics in common impact zones, aiming to reduce road rash in lower-speed falls.

The suit has been developed with aerodynamic specialists Swiss Side and tested in the wind tunnel to match a standard race skinsuit. Thermal testing is ongoing to ensure it handles heat just as well.

Pro riders from the Decathlon–CMA CGM team are already involved in testing, offering feedback ahead of any race debut.