Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) is set to start the men's road race at the National Road Championships in Co Tyrone on Sunday, in search of his second elite title win.
While the Carrick-on-Suir man's name has been on the start list since it was first published, many of the pro riders enter the championships each year, to keep their options open, but do not start.
Bennett has been omitted from the Bora-hansgrohe selection for the Tour de France and while that appeared to bolster his chances of lining out this Sunday in Ireland, he did not start the championships last year after being omitted from the Tour line-up.
His presence at the championships will be a big boost for the event as he is, by far, the most accomplished rider to date of the current crop of Irish pros. And with in-form riders like Giro stage winner Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla), who was 7th overall in the Giro, also on the start list, the standard in the men's race could be one of the highest levels ever.
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Bennett and his team mate Ryan Mullen - who has the most national title wins of any of professionals - will have each other to work with in the race on Sunday, which could be a big advantage. Both will go into the event among the red hot favourites for the gold medal.
Bennett would be a very popular winner after the disappointing news today that his team, Bora-hansgrohe, has named seven of its eight-man team for the Tour de France, with Bennett not one of the names riders. And while the final place still has to be filled, the team has said it will go to a climber, which appears to rule out Bennett.
The team has decided to build much of its resources around the general classification aspirations of last year's Giro d'Italia winner, Jai Hindley. However, Bennett's lead-out man, Danny Van Poppel, and young German sprinter Jordi Meeus have both been picked ahead of the Irishman, who has struggled for form this year.
However, this Sunday's race, promoted by Island Wheelers CC, will offer cycling fans a rare opportunity to see Bennett race on home roads. The last time he finished the championships, in 2019, he won gold in Derry City.
