Following one of the toughest starts in Tour de France history - two mountain challenges in the Basque Country - the race crosses the border back into France on stage 3, a day for the sprinters.

The 193.5 km from Amorebieta-Etchano in the French Basque Country to Bayonne is much flatter than the previous two days, with few obstacles in the way of the fast riders before a technical run-in and slight uphill finish line.

Twenty years ago, when the Tour de France last visited Bayonne, a powered-up Tyler Hamilton finished two minutes ahead of the peloton led by Eric Zabel. In a Tour peloton packed with eager sprinters such as Jasper Philippsen, Fabio Jacobsen, Caleb Yuan, Mark Cavendish, Biniam Gilmey, Dylan Groenewegen, and Mads Pedersen, a repeat of such a long solo sprint on Monday is unlikely to happen.

"That's what me and Fabio are looking forward to. This weekend is not our race. Soudal-Quick Step lead-out man Mikhail Morkov told Cycling News before the second stage.

"Of course, the start takes away some of the freshness, so it's a little bit more nerve-wracking than sprinting for the stage and the yellow jersey on the first day. But of course, everyone here is in top condition, so I don't think anyone will be tired on Monday." [Alpecin-Desseuninck duo Mathieu van der Pol and Jasper Philipsen are the other favourites waiting in the wings for glory in Bayonne.

Much attention will also be focused on Cavendish. This July, he returned as an Australian sprint advisor for Astana Kazakstan, aided by HTC teammate Mark Renshaw.

"It brings another dimension, not just the sprint stages. Visualizing and looking through it before the stage takes a little bit of the pressure off," Cavendish said in Bilbao before Cycling News asked Renshaw about the new partnership and the upcoming Tour.

Renshaw said he had already been out scouting the early sprint days, superimposing routes on Google Earth, recording road videos, and taking notes.

"It's going to be difficult tomorrow because there's a lot of climbing starting around 25km to go," Renshaw said of stage 3. It's not the kind of climb where a sprinter could fall off, but you start at the back of the bunch, which isn't ideal." But it's not ideal because you start at the back of the pack." The run-in leads to a very fast and technical finish on dual roads and brand new pavement.

There are five roundabouts in the last 5 km of the stage, a hairpin curve in the last 2 km, and a curve awaits in the last 200 meters.

Of course, other teams looking to sprint will be doing similar research, even if not all can rely on the expertise of former top leadouts and sprinters.

Every sprinter in the race, from 38-year-old Cavendish in his last Tour de France to race debutants like Jordi Meeus and Sam Welsford, would have had to fight through a tough opening two stages.

Jacobsen is 152nd, Welsford 160th, Alexander Kristoff 162nd, Phil Bauhaus 168th, and Mark Cavendish 171st. According to Renshaw, the Grande Pearl could have a greater impact on some players than others.

"It was the hardest start I've ever seen," he said. I think it's a huge advantage for Kav, who is one of the oldest sprinters and one of the most experienced." Welsford is young and has no experience in the Grand Tour riding style, but he has the extra power that comes with youth.

"In the Giro, I could see he was getting better day by day, better than when he started. So I think a hard start will be an advantage for Cav."

Cavendish has already competed in two sprints in this Tour, finishing fourth and sixth from the peloton in the intermediate sprints of the first two stages led by Pedersen and Philipsen.

Renshaw said that it is "small wins" like points without effort that will boost Cavendish, and at the same time, Sourdal-Quickstep ("I really think they are the key") and Caleb Yuan ("The group in the first stage. I saw them flying around the front").

But there is no sure way to evaluate the sprinters on Monday afternoon, and a day later, before they go live on the winding finale of the Paul Armagnac circuit in Nogaro.

"It's going to be an interesting sprint because the two finishes on Monday and Tuesday are quite technical. We still can't see on the climbs who will be the fastest at the finish line."