Another sequence begins as the riders approach the Pyrenees, entering through the traditional gateway that a Toulouse stage is, but in a very unusual way, with the route mapped out on a 156.8-kilometre loop as they return to competition. Of the 26 finishes in the Pink City, which was already on the map of the first Tour de France in 1903, the vast majority of victories have been claimed by sprinters. This time, it is difficult to see how a champion of Caleb Ewan's calibre, the last to have his name added to the list of winners in the city in 2019, could resist the slopes in the last 45 kilometres.
A battle of puncheurs is once again to be expected on the Côte de Pech David, or at least a selection that should rule out the sprinters who are less comfortable on the hills. In all likelihood, the Milan-Merlier match will have to be postponed, and the finale could instead see Mathieu Van der Poel back in the forefront, perhaps in a new duel with Tadej Pogacar that would echo Milano-Sanremo as the riders dive towards the boulevards of downtown Toulouse. But all those who stood out in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Rouen and Mûr-de-Bretagne will still have their say, starting with Jonas Vingegaard. The jerseys of Romain Grégoire, Kévin Vauquelin, Matteo Jorgenson, Remco Evenepoel and Oscar Onley will certainly be in the mix.
