OLYMPIC champions and Tour de France riders may be powering into Abergavenny at the end of June but one of Britain's best domestic men could upstage them all and win the 2009 National Road Race Championships.
Sheffield's Russell Downing was unbeatable in 2008 around the road of the UK, winning the almost every event he entered.
Now the Yorkshireman has began the new season with a vengeance, with two big wins - at the Lincoln Grand Prix and stage three of the Cinturon a Mallorca.
The 2005 national champion has also just come away from the Irish FBD Insurance Ras with a seventh place overall classification and third place in the Points contest, just two behind Belgium winner Niko Eeckhout.
So Downing, who won both the Get Connected! International Criterium town centre circuit races and the Robert Price Grand Prix of Wales in Monmouthshire last year has the road knowledge of this year's course to make a big play for the title even with the presence of Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas, David Millar, Bradley Wiggins and Roger Hammond.
The 30-year-old said, "I've just finished the Ras which was a big preparation for the Nationals. Now it's time to recover from that Tour of Ireland, wind down a bit and then build up."
He expects a wide-open affair on June 28 which could come down to a sprint finish. He added, "I don't think the race will split on the climb (the daunting Tumble between Abergavenny and Blaenavon) but it could on the finishing circuits.
"It's 160 kilometres which is shorter than previous years but that makes for a good race and a fast one."
Downing took the national crown the year after Hammond secured his second successive domestic title over the roads outside Newport, Gwent, in 2004.
And his Lincoln Grand Prix victory, in which he outsprinted the top British opposition to win in May, has sent a warning to the rest that he is bang in form again.
"I just put my form down to hard training," said Downing. "I had two hard races in Majorca this year and used them as training races.
"In the Lincoln, I wanted to split the field but I didn't and I was pretty fortunate to win it in the last climb."
There is another man that Downing would sorely like to finish ahead of over the Abergavenny course - but only for team purposes.
Brother Dean is down to ride the race for the Rapha-Condor team while Russell is riding for the Candi TV/Marshalls Pasta RT side.
Downing added: "There is a lot of rivalry because he is with Rapha but it is only to please our respective sponsors."
So, while there will be British champions and Continental 'Classic' race riders galore fighting for the prized national jersey in Gwent, the dark horse - with the black colours to match - will be lurking to pounce on any opportunity to seize the glory for himself on the finish line in Abergavenny.