Julien Alaphilippe again warned that this year's Tour de France may not be as good as 2019, but he quickly made Sunday's second stage in the hills around Nice his first goal.

The French Deceuninck-Quick Step rider won two stages, wore the leader's jersey for two weeks, and colored the race until suffering in the final mountain stage last year. When the 2020 route was announced last October, Alaphilippe quickly realized that there might be too many mountains for him and that he would never regain his 2019 form.

The death of his father in early summer and the closure of COVID-19 also slowed his form. But at a Deceuninck-QuickStep video press conference in Nice, he promised to still be aggressive.

"I'm kind of relieved. I think it's a natural decision. I don't think I was made to go for GC in the Tour de France," he said in response to Cycling News' question about his Tour goals.

"Last year, even if that wasn't my goal, I was really close.

"Last year was a special and unforgettable Tour for me. I never thought I would be able to run a Tour like that. A new season, a new Tour. I'm always ambitious when I start a race and the Tour motivates me even more. But I don't want to think too much about the future just yet."

The French media and public are eager to see Alaphilippe attack the Tour de France again this year, but he seems to be able to deflect their expectations.

"I'm not complaining about not being on GC. It's natural for me to go for the stages and I want to do good things with my teammates. That's our goal. I'm not here to win the Tour.

"I'll be aggressive as always."

Deceuninck-QuickStep will open Saturday's race with sprinter Sam Bennett, who will target the high flat roads of Nice. Sunday appears to be in for Alaphilippe.

The 186km stage includes 4000m of climbing, with the Col d'Eze and Col de Cattleman in the final 50km. The race is expected to be explosive on the climbs and descents, and the finish at the Promenade des Anglais is only 2 km from the end of the descent; theoretically, Alaphilippe could take the yellow jersey, but in 2020 that is a distant second.

"It's really important to get a good start and see how I feel. Sunday is difficult, so I want to have a good stage," Alaphilippe said.

"There are 4,000 meters of elevation change, so it could be an opportunity. It also depends a lot on the weather. Rain is forecast for the weekend, and that might affect it. In the end, all we know is how the legs feel and how we approach the Tour's further course on Sunday evening."

While Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet appear to be feeling the pressure of French expectations, Alaphilippe appears to be living up to them.

He is not looking forward to the empty mountain finish, where spectators are restricted and face masks are required to reduce the risk of the COVID-19 virus spreading to the country and the Tour de France peloton.

"It will be strange to imagine climbing a pass with maximum effort and seeing deserted roads, because I have unforgettable memories of this crowd cheering me on last year.

"It's like a soccer game with an empty stadium. It's a shame. The public is part of cycling, but it is important to respect the instructions. We are isolated and even stay in single rooms. There are a lot of rules to follow, and that's what this year's Tour is all about."