A series of small dots, known as bubble pads, featured as part of the design on the outfits worn by the cyclists on Saturday’s (July 1) time trial in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Half of the top eight finishers came from the British-based team, with Geraint Thomas claiming the first yellow jersey of the iconic bike race, which is set to go on until July 23.

According to Reuters, complaints were made by two rival teams about the bubbles on the kit, with it said that they helped aid aerodynamics illegally.

But race jury President Philippe Marien said the jerseys did not breach the rules.

International Cycling Union regulations state that garments worn by riders must not be “adapted in any way such that they diverge from their use purely as clothing”, which includes the addition of non-essential elements or devices.

Nicolas Portal, Team Sky’s sports director, has hit back at the complaints, claiming other teams have used similar designs before.

“It’s legal,” he said.

“Everybody knows the rules.

“It does give you a big advantage, but it’s those little things, so why not use them?

“Everything had been validated.

“We would not take the risk to cheat and lose everything on the first day.”

The decision from the race jury left other teams unhappy, FDJ performance director Frederic Grappe saying the advantage it gave the riders was “huge”.

“It’s enhanced aerodynamics and the regulations forbid it,” Grappe told Reuters.

“According to studies, the estimated gain is about four to seven per cent.”