Megan Armitage, one of the big finds for Irish cycling since the last Olympic Games, makes her debut on the OIympic stage on Sunday, when she carries Irish hopes, as a one-woman team, into the road race event.
Armitage, who rides for trade Team EF Education-Cannondale, has had some false starts of late, including missing this year's Giro d'Italia through illness and last year's Tour de France due to a crash.
However, her rise in the cycling world - as impressive as it has been rapid - will take a huge step forward in Paris when she dons the Irish kit and becomes an Olympian; an incredible achievement for any athlete in any sport.
The former mountain runner from Birr in Co Offaly had only started cycling when the last Olympics took place; first popping up on the radar at the 2020 National Road Race Championships. She only stepped up to the Team Rupelcleaning UCI Continental team at the end of the following year.
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As a solo rider for Team Ireland, and competing against the best World Tour cyclists in the sport, Armitage will have her work cut out to make an impact on the final result.
However, she has proven aggressive in recent years and if she could get into a breakaway, and make the best go of it possible - especially after seeing team mates Ben Healy and Ryan Mullen do exactly that today - that would be a fantastic outcome for her.
The Irish rider was last in action at Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin (1.1) in France midweek, with Armitage finishing in 36th - 45 seconds down on winner Anouska Koster (Uno-X Mobility). That was a strong final hit-out for Armitage, in a race with just 64 finishers from a 150-strong start list.
A 96-rider peloton will start from Trocadero at 1pm in Paris before setting off along the Left Bank on their way out of the French capital. After a 5km neutralised section, they will race over a 158km course, 1,700m of elevation gain, which can suit Armitage if she is on a good day.
