Just as the men's Tour de France title has been all about Jonas versus Tadej, so the second Tour de France Femmes looks like Annemiek v Demi.
Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten, who will retire at the end of this season, is the rider to beat as the women look to build on last year's outstanding success.
The women's Tour will start on Sunday night (AEST) at Clermont-Ferrand in central France, on the same day the men's event ends.
The Movistar team leader underlined her favouritism for the July 23-30 Tour Femmes by dominating the Giro d'Italia Donne earlier this month.
The Dutch great, who defied injury to win the world road title in Wollongong last September, will relish the second-last stage featuring the Col du Tourmalet - one of cycling's most iconic mountain climbs.
But compatriot Demi Vollering has also enjoyed a string of big results this season, and her SD Worx team is stacked with talent that can put pressure on van Vleuten.
Rivals such as Australian Amanda Spratt will be keen to ensure that the battle for the general classification, or GC, is not as clear-cut as Jonas Vingegaard's cracking of Tadej Pogacar in the men's race.
Spratt will be a key lieutenant in the Lidl-Trek team for Italian Elisa Longo Borghini, who challenged van Vleuten at the Giro before she crashed and had to pull out of the race because of injury.
"For sure, the GC is going to be made in the last two stages, but there are so many opportunities to gain time, gain seconds throughout," Spratt told the Wheel Talk podcast.
Spratt's main job will be to protect Longo Borghini and marshall the team on the road.
The Australian star will also want a change of fortune at the Tour Femmes, after having to pull out of last year's race because of crash injuries.
Despite her misfortune, Spratt - like everyone else in women's cycling - has been wowed by the success of the reborn women's Tour de France.
After several failed attempts over the years, this time the women's Tour looks like a sustainable winner.
"There was a lot of excitement, but not really knowing how it was going to go," Spratt said.
"It exceeded everyone's expectations ... even in terms of the crowd that just built every day, the support we had.
"Also, we really feel like they're taking us seriously ... we've asked for a time trial, they've added a time trial. We're racing up the Tourmalet, which has to be one of the most famous climbs in cycling.
"We can see this is an event that's going to grow really quickly."
As with the men's Tour, there will be a big Australian contingent in the women's race.
Lauretta Hanson is also in the Lidl-Trek lineup, while Grace Brown is a key member of the FdJ-Suez team.
Elizabeth Stannard (Israel Premier Tech), sprinter and domestique Sarah Roy (Canyon/SRAM), Danielle de Francesco (Arkea), Cofidis riders Rachel Neylan and Josie Talbot are also on the start list.
The Australian-owned Jayco-AlUla team will feature three local riders - Alexandra Manly, Georgie Howe and Jess Allen.
