The opening round of the Tour de France showcased a number of new technologies.

Some are subtle, like the weight hacks found on Tadei Pogachar's bike and the super-efficient bearings used by Vimalise-a-Bike. Others are in the opposite direction, like Dylan Groenewegen's sunglasses or the gaudy embellishments found on Intermarché Wanticamp's new helmets.

A few days before the start in Florence, Cycling News spoke with Intermarché Wanty's Eritrean sprint star Biniam Girmay and his South African teammate Luis Mainzhes about the new helmets.

The helmet is from the German brand Uvex. Its model name is unknown, but it is designed as a two-in-one solution for both aero and ventilation, with a plastic cover that can be attached or removed.

With the cover removed, the helmet features open channels separated by small carbon fiber horizontal struts. Open space is plentiful and undoubtedly allows for ample airflow to the head. The design is similar to Specialized's Prevail III.

With the cover in place, these vents fill out, leaving three small central vents in the front, two on each side for sunglass storage (at an aerodynamic penalty), three vents behind the top of the head, and four more in the back.

Importantly, however, Article 1.3.031 of the Clarification Guide to the UCI Technical Regulations states unambiguously: "Removable covers on helmets are prohibited.

To get around this problem, the Intermarque Wanty team brought twice as many helmets to the Tour and permanently attached covers to half of them using superglue.

The other half of the helmets were brought in without covers, and on the morning of each stage the riders, like consumers, would choose between airy or aero.

When Biniam Gilmey won the sprint competition on stage 3, he was wearing an aero version of his helmet.