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Montauban - Warren Barguil and John Degenkolb may be comrades in arms on a 3,500km trek around France on their bicycles but they will be bitter enemies at the Giant hotel on Thursday evening.
France play Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final, an appointment that has not gone unnoticed at the Grand Boucle.
"I'm sorry but unfortunately France will lose. You can go home," joked Degenkolb.
Another German in the Giant team, Simon Geschke, warned -- tongue in cheek -- that the match could spark tensions within the team.
"Maybe we'll watch the match together," he said. "We'll see how the result affects the atmosphere in the group."
In French teams FDJ and AG2R, though, there are no such split loyalties.
FDJ leader Thibaut Pinot was feeling bullish ahead of Thursday's sixth stage of the Tour from Arpajon-sur-Cere to Montauban.
He thinks Barguil will have the last laugh in the Giant camp.
"I can see France winning easily. They're on a roll, they have everything they need to succeed and Germany have a lot of injuries," he said.
For AG2R star Romain Bardet, it won't be quite so straight-forward, although he hopes it will be a summer of celebration for the French, not only in football.
He predicted "a French victory -- because you've got to keep dreaming! And then we need to keep that going on the Champs Elysees".
The Tour finishes on Paris' most iconic grand avenue on July 24.
Barguil is currently lying sixth overall with Bardet 14th and Pinot 21st, although the three are separated by only 11sec and the decisive stages have yet to start.
