Sean Bailey is looking for a third IFSC World Cup win in a row ©Getty Images

Briançon will host the third International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup of the month, with lead action on the agenda at the French resort.

It will also be the fourth lead World Cup in the space of four weeks.

Men's and women's qualification and semi-finals are set to take place tomorrow, followed by finals on Sunday (July 18).

A total of 140 athletes are to compete in the lead events, following the 83 entries in yesterday's IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup at the same venue.

It will be the final World Cup before sport climbing makes its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

American Sean Bailey will be looking to win his third straight lead event on this season's World Cup circuit, following wins in Villars in Switzerland and Chamonix in France earlier this month.

Natalia Grossman, 20, already has six IFSC World Cup podium finishes this season ©Getty Images
Natalia Grossman, 20, already has six IFSC World Cup podium finishes this season ©Getty Images

Bailey will not compete at Tokyo 2020, where the combined discipline is on the programme, after finishing one place short in qualification.

Fellow American Natalia Grossman, who has won a medal at all six IFSC World Cups she has contested this season, will be among the favourites to top the women's podium.

Aleksandra Totkova, the 16-year-old Bulgarian who won a first World Cup medal earlier this week in Chamonix, is also on the entry list.

Italy's Laura Rogora, who won in Chamonix, and Slovenia's Janja Garnbret will not be competing as they instead prepare for the Olympics.

Stefano Ghisolfi of Italy and Czech Martin Stranik, the other two climbers on the men's podium earlier this week, are due to be in action.