The trio expected to dominate cycling's Tour de France – Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – will start to spar a month early as the mountainous eight day Criterium du Dauphine starts on Sunday.
With four hilly stages, a time trial and three final days in the Alps, the Dauphine will provide a glimpse of what to expect when the 21-day Tour de France begins on 5 July.
The short, tough route has attracted an A-list roster of 154 riders from 22 teams.
Defending Tour de France champion Pogacar won the prestigious one-day races the Tour of Flanders and Liege–Bastogne–Liege this spring, and the mountains will reveal his stage-race form going into the Tour.
"It's a great line up here," Team UAE's Pogacar said on Saturday.
"I'll try to win here but if it doesn't go as expected there's no panic, it'll show me what I need to improve," said the attack-minded 26-year-old.
When asked about his chief rival, Visma rider Vingegaard, who has raced little this season, the attack-minded Slovenian said he was wary.
"Jonas looks on great form. I think he's going to be very strong and I'm looking forward to finding out," he said.
Visma's head of racing Grischa Niermann, who will also act as the team's sports director at the Dauphine described the route as tough and perfect preparation for the Tour.
Niermann said the 2024 Criterium champion Matteo Jorgenson and 2023 Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss were like co-leaders on the team bus.
"Jonas is of course our leader. The competition is strong but we always focus on ourselves," he said, adding that the race would show them where the team stand.
Double Olympic champion Evenepoel said he was targeting a stage win, and will be in the spotlight in the time trial, where he is world and Olympic champion.
"It'll be an explosive time trial with a 2km-long, nine per cent climb. I'll do my best, even if this stage won't play a major role in the overall standings," said the 25-year-old, the third star man.
ROUTE
Sunday, June 8 - Stage 1
Domerat-Montlucon (195.8km - hills)
Monday, June 9 - Stage 2
Premilhat-Issoire (204.6km - hills)
Tuesday, June 10 - Stage 3
Brioude-Charantonnay (207.2km - hills)
Wednesday June 11 - Stage 4
Charmes-sur-Rhone-Saint-Peraym (17.4km - ITT)
Thursday, June 12 - Stage 5
Saint-Priest-Macon (183 km - hills)
Friday, June 13 June -Stage 6
Valserhone-Combloux (126.7km - mountains)
Saturday, June 14 June - Stage 7
Grand-Aigueblanche-Valmeinier (131.6 km - mountains)
Sunday, June 15 - Stage 8
Val d'Arc – Plateau du Mont-Cenis (133.3km - mountains)