The battle for the few remaining races on the shortened 2020 road calendar (open in new tab) is fierce, with as many as 12 WorldTour teams competing in the UCI 2.1-ranked Tour de Ain.

According to UCI rules, 2. This year's Tour de l'Ain includes AG2R-La Mondiale, CCC Team, Cofidis, Deceuninck-Quick Step (opens in new tab), Groupama-FDJ, Israel Start-Up Nation, Lotto Soudal, Team Ineos (opens in new tab), Team Jumbo-Visma, Team Sunweb, Trek-Segafredo, and UAE Team Emirates have all received invitations to participate in the race, which will be held from August 7 to 9.

Hagens Berman Axiom, an American young athlete development team led by Axel Merckx, secured one of the four slots on the Continental team.

The race will be an important preparation for the World Tour Stage Race, which resumes on August 12 at the Criterium du Dauphiné before the Tour de France (opens in new tab) begins on August 29.

This short, punchy race will be a wake-up call for the legs, and Jumbo-Visma is expected to field most of the Tour de France team, including Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, and Steven Kruijswijk.

Trek-Segafredo is expected to send Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema, while Team Ineos is expected to send defending Tour de France champion Egan Bernal.

The three-stage Tour de l'Ain begins with a 139.5-km undulating stage from Montreal-La Cruz to Seizeria, followed by a 140.1-km stage from Laguneux in the Jura mountains to L'Erex-Mont-Jura, with four Category 2 mountains and one Category 3 mountains.

The final stage is a strenuous 143.1 km, with a Category 1 Monte de la Serre de Fromentelle followed by the Col de la Biche and a finish in Grand Colombier.

In 2019, the race profile was somewhat similar, with Groupama-FDJ's Thibaut Pinot dominating the final stage to Grand Colombier, winning by 52 seconds over Arkea-Samisc's Elie Gesbert for his second career overall win. Other previous winners include Artur Vichot, Sam Omen, Andrew Talansky, and Romain Bardet.

In addition to the World Tour teams, six professional teams will participate: Total Direct Energie, Team Arkea-Samsic, Circus-Wanty Gobert, Vital Concept - B&B Hotels, Nippo Delko six professional teams from Provence, four continental teams including the American teams Hagens Berman Axeon, Kometa Xstra, St-Michel - Auber 93, Natura4ever - Roubaix - Lille Metropole, and U23 national teams from Switzerland and Germany.