French favorite Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), who saw the 2021 Tour de France route unveiled in Paris on Sunday evening, said the course is more suitable for "complete riders" than pure climbers.

"It's a really classic Tour route, very different from the routes of recent years, with a lot of sprints and a lot of stages especially suitable for punchers," Pinot told L'Equipe on Sunday evening.

"The Pyrenees will be quite tough, but it's a route that is generally less suited to climbers and more suited to complete riders because of the two time trials (stages 5 and 20)."

Pinot was fifth overall in the 2019 Tour but was forced to retire with a thigh injury just three days after Paris. He was 1:50 behind then race leader and compatriot Julien Alaphilippe (Desseuninck-Quick Step), but only 20 seconds behind eventual race winner Egan Bernal (Team Ineos).

Pinot then went on to be one of the big contenders for the 2020 Tour, but crashed on the opening stage in Nice, injuring his back.

"Maybe this is a turning point in my career. I always said I enjoyed competing in races. This was too much for me," he said at the time, but he still fought on to Paris, finishing 29th overall.

Regarding the 2021 Tour de France route announced on Sunday, Pinot added The stage to Tignes (stage 9) looks like the most beautiful mountain stage to me."

Pinot's teammate David Gaudoux (currently competing in the Vuelta a España and winner of Saturday's stage 11) said he is particularly looking forward to the Grande Paix in his native Brittany.

"The two first stages are great and should be suitable for punthour climbers, and the second stage (Perros-Geirec to Mules de Bretagne) is only 15 km from my parents' house and mine.

"I know all the turns of the road, which motivates me to get there. For us Brittanyans, the Mule de Bretagne is our Alpes d'Huez, and we will be cheered on by the local fans.

"And in the Pyrenees, we will return to the Col du Portet three years after our first appearance in the Tour.