G42, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and MET unveil new Tour de France helmet as Helmetverse returns for its second edition
Following nearly 20,000 fan-generated designs in its debut year, Helmetverse returns on July 13 to invite cycling fans worldwide to create the team’s next race-day helmet
Abu Dhabi, UAE – July 8, 2026 – G42, the UAE’s leading artificial intelligence and technology holding group, has partnered with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and MET Helmets to unveil a new AI-designed helmet to be worn by the team during Stage 5 of the Tour de France from Lannemezan to Pau.
The reveal marks the return of Helmetverse, G42’s global AI-powered design platform, that gives cycling fans the opportunity to create their own helmet designs using simple text prompts. After a debut edition that generated nearly 20,000 designs and reached audiences in 135 countries, Helmetverse will reopen on July 13 at helmetverse.ai and run until September 13.
The new helmet, created in collaboration with AI artist Gizem Akdag, is inspired by the transition from city to signal and from data to light. Its visual language captures the speed, energy and flow of professional cycling, translating movement and performance into a design made for one of the sport’s most watched stages.
Helmetverse invites fans anywhere in the world to generate helmet designs using AI, share their creations, explore entries from other fans and vote for their favorites. The most popular designs will progress to a final judging panel featuring representatives from G42, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and MET Helmets.
The winning helmet design will be manufactured by MET Helmets and worn by UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the UAE Tour in February 2027, giving one fan the opportunity to see their design move from prompt to peloton with the UCI WorldTour’s top-ranked team for the past three consecutive seasons.
Alex Brunori, G42 VP Brand Experience, said: “At G42, we build the full stack of AI – from the data centers and compute to the models, to the applications that put intelligence to work across industries. Helmetverse takes that same capability and places it directly in people’s hands. It’s a reminder that the technology we deploy at national and industrial scale can also spark individual creativity, and that making AI accessible is as important to us as advancing it.”
Mauro Gianetti, Team Principal and CEO of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, said: “The reaction to Helmetverse last year showed how passionate cycling fans are about engaging with our sport in new ways. As a team, we are always looking to push boundaries, whether that’s through performance, innovation or fan engagement.
Helmetverse reflects that mindset and gives cycling fans an opportunity to leave their mark on the team.”
Gizem Akdag, AI Artist, said: “Seeing my design brought to life through Helmetverse has been an incredible experience. Inspired by movement, speed and transformation, the concept reflects the energy of professional cycling and the constant pursuit of innovation. Helmetverse provides a platform for people to express their creativity and contribute their own ideas to the future of design.”
As part of their wider partnership, G42 continues to serve as the Official AI Partner of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, exploring opportunities across performance, innovation and fan engagement both on and off the bike.
About G42
G42 is a technology holding group, a global leader in creating visionary artificial intelligence for a better tomorrow. Born in Abu Dhabi and operating worldwide, G42 champions AI as a powerful force for good across industries. From molecular biology to space exploration and everything in between, G42 realizes exponential possibilities, today.
To know more visit www.g42.ai
About UAE Team Emirates-XRG
UAE Team Emirates-XRG entered the highest level of professional cycling, the World Tour, in early 2017. The team has the aim of representing an entire nation, the UAE, and promoting a healthy lifestyle linked to the use of the bicycle. Season after season, the Emirati team has attracted a growing number of world-class riders and quality sponsors, taking them to new heights and successes in the biggest races in the world. The culmination of this growth and success has come with the victories of Tadej Pogacar in the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025, and becoming the number 1 ranked team in the UCI World Tour in 2023, 2024 and 2025.