What you’re seeing is a new airbag system integrated directly into the “race-ready” skinsuit, not bolted on like other solutions. It was developed for road cyclists by van Ryssel with the help of airbag technology specialist In & Motion. It’s currently being tested on pro riders ahead of a general consumer release “over the next couple of years.”

Its development comes after the UCI, pro cycling’s governing body, Call in February Looking for gear that can help protect riders who travel faster than ever.

The current version is in final validation before possible race deployment. Van Ryssel says its total weight is around 700 grams (500 grams for the airbag components), making it significantly lighter than the airbag systems worn in MotoGP. And like proven MotoGP solutions, Van Ryssel’s airbag deploys in just 60 milliseconds after its impact detection algorithm senses something has gone terribly wrong.

The skinsuit is designed to be aerodynamic and heat-dissipating, with the use of abrasion-resistant materials helping to reduce the risk of road rash and other skin surface injuries. Airbags deploy to protect parts of the upper body not covered by the helmet, including the central core, cervical zone, and spine. More extensive protection will be sought in the future.

“Behind every race number, there’s a human being and sadly it’s still widely accepted that a rider can lose everything in a split second due to a crash,” says Jocelyn Barr, van Ryssel product manager. “What the helmet represented 20 years ago, we think the airbag can represent today, but now, we’re looking beyond the head, we need to protect as much of the body as we can.”