Chris Froome will return to racing next week on the Route d'Occitanie.

Chris Froome, the four-time Tour de France champion, will compete in all four stages of the French race, which starts Saturday, August 1, organizers announced Monday.

Geraint Thomas, the third leader of Team Ineos, will return for the season at the Tour de l'Ain three days after the end of the Route d'Occitanie. Froome and Bernal may also compete in the three-stage race, and all three will race together at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

The limited races leading up to the Tour de France are crucial in establishing the hierarchy of the Ineos, who have won the last three yellow jerseys.

In late May, following news of Froome's possible mid-season move and Bernal's comments suggesting that he would not sacrifice his own chances, Team Ineos responded to Cycling News by saying that leadership decisions would be made when the season resumes The company released a statement saying.

"Everyone has shown that they are capable of leading the team and everyone is encouraged to be prepared to do so," the spokesman said.

"Because so much changes in our sport, final role assignments will be made closer to the time when more information becomes available about each player's form and fitness and who best fits the overall team strategy.

This weekend, Bernal tried to backtrack on the idea of not working for Thomas and Froome, repeating the line, "Road decides the hierarchy." At Route d'Occitanie, where there had been no racing for several months, Froome and Bernal would go head-to-head.

It will also reveal how Froome's fitness has progressed since his comeback from a career-threatening crash last June, and whether his claims of being back to his best are accurate.

Whether Froome can lead the way remains to be seen, but the same may apply to his selection: after the announcement of his move to the Israeli startup nation starting in 2021, speculation was rife that Ineos would choose to go without Froome, and many experts say that three leaders is too many.

The rescheduled Route d'Occitanie will feature one major mountain stage in the Pyrenees, with riders tackling the Porte de Vallès and Col de Peyrezur, with a summit finish at the Col de Beyrade (10.9 km, 7.2%). The opening stage is for sprinters, the second stage is slightly more undulating, and the final stage is for punchers with a steep final climb (1.1 km, 10%) to the finish.

The 21 teams competing in the race were announced on Monday, and Ineos is one of eight WorldTour teams, along with AG2R La Mondiale, Astana, Bahrain McLaren, CCC Team, Cofidis, Groupama-FDJ, and Trek-Segafredo The team became.

In addition to Froome and Bernal, Frenchmen Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) will be on the start line.