Nothing captures the imagination of the French cycling public more than a home winner on Bastille Day.
"It's the national celebration. It's extremely important for us French. It's our day," said Warren Barguil, the last Frenchman to win on 14 July, back in 2017.
This year, most of the 29 remaining Frenchmen in the Tour de France will have been dreaming of winning Tuesday's 10th stage, a 166.6km run from Aurillac to Le Lioran in the central Cantal region.
Winning on Bastille Day makes a Frenchman an instant Tour legend – and their name is forever associated with the date.
"In the moment, we enjoy the victory, but after that, to the fans, people started to call me 'the July 14th winner'," David Moncoutie, who claimed the hilly 12th stage on that date in 2005, said a few years ago.
"When I won in Figeac in 2004, no one called me 'the July 15th winner'!
"Usually, you don't remember the date of your wins, but I know that one by heart."
Tuesday's stage includes seven categorised climbs, although no behemoth mountains.
Still, the highest peak, the Puy Mary - Pas de Peyrol, rises over 1 500-metres above sea level.
The stage lends itself to a breakaway of tough specialists who have the strength to get over the energy-sapping climbs.
Although much will depend on whether race leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Emirates-XRG team decide to set up the reigning champion for a stage victory by riding at a break-neck pace.
They have already won three stages in this 113th edition of the Grande Boucle, leading to some complaints from teams and fans alike that they are not giving anyone else a chance.
Pogacar has won twice on Bastille Day, in 2021 and in 2024.
The latter victory has special memories for him in the shape of the cuddly toy that was given to the stage winners.
"I have the best lion that I keep in my parents house, (it) has a French flag around the chest because I got it on that day, with the yellow jersey," he said on Sunday.
"It's not probably as special a day as for the French riders, but it's been always every year like this.
"For sure, on Tuesday, we can expect a big fight for stage victory from French riders."
'A DIFFERENT DAY'
Barguil is the only French rider in the race this year to have won on Bastille Day – in fact, the only active French rider to have done so.
That 2017 Tour was extra special for Barguil as he won two stages as well as the polka-dot 'King of the Mountains' classification.
But simply being a Frenchman competing at the Tour on Bastille Day – even without winning the stage – is unforgettable.
Barguil rode the Tour in 2019 as French champion and he said that riding in that jersey on July 14 was as special as winning a stage on that date.
"It's different to other days," Barguil said before the Tour started.
"I won a stage (on July 14) and I managed to do it (the Bastille Day stage) in the French champion's jersey.
"With the French champion's jersey, it was (also) completely crazy.
"It's just a different day."
As former sprint king Mark Cavendish used to say, winning any Tour stage can make a rider's entire career.
For a Frenchman, to do so on Bastille Day elevates that by another degree.
But just being a Frenchman riding the Tour on Bastille Day is special, and Barguil cannot wait to do so again.
"They've designed another perfect stage for a breakaway, so we can be out in front on July 14," said Barguil.
"Of course, it's an objective of mine to be out in front on this 14 July too."