Lara Gillespie on the front of an early breakaway at last week's In Flanders Fields, now the Irish rider goes into Scheldeprijs as one of the favourites (Photo: Luc Claessen-Getty Images)
In a reflection of the record number of Irish riders competing in the top tier of pro racing this year, no fewer than five Irish women will today, Wednesday, take to the start of Scheldeprijs (1.1), the Belgian classic.
Dillon Corkery (Picnic PostNL) is the sole representative in the men's race, lining out in this race for the first time in his career after making his debut at the weekend in the Tour of Flanders.
It will be an especially big day for 18-year-old Aliyah Rafferty, last year's Irish junior TT and road race champion, as she is starting by far the biggest race of her career.
Though the first-year U23 has already made her debut for new UCI Conti team DAS-Hutchinson, in Mallorca in January, today's race is a much different proposition.
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It is stacked with the best World Tour teams, who have in many cases selected their top riders for today's assignment. But if things go well for Rafferty in the next year or two, today is effectively an introduction proper to her future in the European pro peloton.
There will be no pressure on the teenager from Co Tyrone, who will seek to learn all she can and soak in the experience. Her team mate for this year, and this race, Aoife O'Brien, is a few years ahead in her in development terms and will want something from today.
A breakaway ride would be attractive for the Westmeath rider. But making it all the way in the group sprinting for victory, probably a reduced bunch, would be an even better outcome.
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Emma Jeffers is also riding; the 21-year-old fresh from a 5th place finish at Ronde de Mouscron (1.1) in Belgium on Sunday. Jeffers is competing for the Liv AlUla Jayco UCI Conti team this year but today she has been called up to the Liv AlUla Jayco World Tour squad.
Jeffers will be called into team duties, but there is no telling what she may be able to achieve in the years ahead. And so being at the front until deep into the final would be invaluable experience for her towards future success in this event.
Big guns Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) and Mia Grifin (Picnic PostNL) go into the race with one thing in mind; making the podium, either themselves or with team mates.
For Gillespie, given her standing now in the sport, this is a race she can win and one she will want to win. However, she is making her debut in Scheldeprijs, putting her at a slight disadvantage.
If she is going to win today, she will need to see off the three women who made up the podium last year; former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), two-time Tour de France stage winner Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) and decorated Italian Chiara Consonni (Canyon-Sram-zondacrypto).
However, there is nobody in this field that Gillespie can't beat in a sprint to the finish line. And once she is recovered from her recent bout of illness, and her usual powers have been restored, this could be a big day for the Wicklow woman.
Kilkenny's Griffin lines out as a part of a Picnic PostNL line-up that may opt, once again, to support Italian sprinter Rachele Barbieri; a tactic that has, frankly, yielded little so far this season.
However, even if Griffin - who was in the breakaway at last week's Dwars door Vlaanderen (1.WWT) - is on team duties today, she is sure to get her chance later in the season. The Irish champion is settling into her new team and is in the very early phase of her three-year deal, meaning she has plenty of time.
Today's race is 130km and while it features a section of cobbles on the finishing circuit, to be negotiated four times, it should come down to a sprint from a reduced bunch, unless a breakaway can scupper that outcome.
