The yellow winner's jersey in this year's Tour De France is looming as one of the closest contest's since Lance Armstrong won the last of his seven straight titles in 2005.
For starters, the logical race favourite and defending champion Alberto Contador will not be participating, after his team Astana was banned following a doping scandal.
This move was seen as controversial given Contador was riding for a different team (Discovery Channel) in last year's Tour.
The Spaniard believes the two main chances to take his throne are great Australian hope Cadel Evans, or Contador's countryman, Alejandro Valverde.
"My favourite for the Tour is Cadel Evans. He's a solid rider who can really make time differences count in the time trials," Contador was quoted in the European press during the week.
The race also sees 10 Australians on the start line - Evans, Robbie McEwen, Stuart O'Grady, Baden Cooke, Simon Gerrans, Mark Renshaw, Brett Lancaster, Trent Lowe, Adam Hansen and Heinrich Haussler, albeit riding with a German licence.
Besides Evans and Valverde, there is a slew of respected riders who will be determined to cause an upset and finish with the coveted yellow jersey.
Riders such as Damiano Cunego, Andy Schleck, Kim Kirchen and Denis Menchov.
The likely race decider at least before the penultimate stage time trial will be stage 17, a 210km ride from to the top of Embrum to the top of Alpe d'Huez.
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When the course was unveiled last August, Evans was quick to point to the importance of this stage, saying: "I've yet to have a good stage on Alpe d'Huez. But we'll see, that's certainly the mammoth stage."
