An all-new tire with an unusual tread pattern and aero benefits was spotted at the Tour de France.

At a team presentation in Florence, Italy, Swiss Side wheels mounted on Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's Van Reisel bike were marked "Continental Aero 111" and "Aerodynamics by Swiss Side."

Not all bikes were fitted with these tires, and interestingly, they were only used on the front wheel, not in pairs. A mixture of GP5000 S TR and GP5000 TT TR tires were used on the rear.

The front wheel is the first part of the bike to hit the air while driving and is the most important part in terms of how much of a difference the reduction in drag will make. The airflow hitting the front wheel is laminar, whereas the air hitting the rear wheel is already turbulent because it is already hitting the seat tube (and before that, the down tube and front wheel).

The tire's tread pattern is unusual; simply put, it looks like someone took a chisel and shaved the tread, taking chunks out of the left and right shoulders at regular intervals. This is very different from the complex tread pattern of existing GP5000 tires.

We know from the Enve SES road tire that a well-designed tread pattern has an aero effect. As air flows around the tire, the tread creates turbulence and keeps the air flowing. Instead of pushing air away, the tread engulfs the rest of the wheel in the dirty, turbulent air stream, helping it stay attached long enough for the air to flow onto the front wheel rim surface.

We can assume that a similar tactic is employed here. Given that the team uses this tire only on the front, it is likely that this tire is specifically designed as a front tire. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the difference brought to the rear is not large enough to justify the change. Also, while the GP5000 is in stock, the aero inventory is low.

While the Criterium du Dauphiné is the place for new car launches, giving teams and riders a chance to familiarize themselves with their new cars before bringing them to the biggest race in the world, the Tour de France is also the place for small item launches. After spending a few days in Florence and bouncing from team hotel to team hotel, we discovered a few new items.

Countless new paint jobs, including Mark Cavendish's new Willyer Filante and, of course, the Red Bull-Bohler-Hansgrohe bike.

With the race's first stage finishing on a twisty descent, it may be a risky move to introduce new tires, but teams should have been testing them in training for the past few weeks, or even longer.