After the Pyrenees, a lot of riders would like to believe stage 19 could be a relaxed ride. But with so much at stake for the sprinters teams or outfits yet to win a stage and hoping to go in the right break, a new tough battle is looming on the road to Bergerac.

"For us, the objective is simple. We are going to do everything we can to have a bunch sprint," said Christian Guiberteau, the Giant-Shimano team director.

"We worked on two scenarios, one for Marcel (Kittel), the other for John (Degenkolb). It will depend on Marcel's position in the tough finale that suits John a little better," he added.

The Dutch team hope from some support from team Katusha, for Alexander Kirstoff, or Lotto-Belisol, for Andre Greipel, bearing in mind that in the third week, it is much tougher to control the race.

For Stefano Zanatta, sports director of the Cannondale team:

"It is Peter Sagan's last chance of a stage win because in Paris, it will be Kittel and the rest. Ofcourse it's important for him and for us," he said.

Others, like France's Thibaut Pinot, second overall and holder of the white jersey, the stage is about saving energy for tomorrow's 55-km time trial:

"We have a tough 210-km ride ahead of us before thinking of the TT. Then it will be time to think about it. I didn't check it yet. I'll do t tomorrow. It will be enough. But I can do it!," he said.