Monaco is set to host the ninth leg of the 2018 Longines Global Champions Tour season tomorrow ©LGCT/Stefano Grasso

Monaco is set to host the ninth leg of the 2018 Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) season tomorrow with the top three in the rankings all scheduled to compete in the coveted Grand Prix event.

Heading the field is rankings leader Edwina Tops-Alexander, a two-time LGCT champion.

The Australian currently has 172 points to her name, giving her a 29-point advantage over nearest challenger Ben Maher of Great Britain.

Breathing down Maher’s neck is fellow Briton Scott Brash, a further 12 points back.

Brash, another two-time LGCT champion, will be one to watch this weekend having previously won in Monaco in 2015.

All three riders look to be in phenomenal form with Maher winning an impressive two LGCT Grand Prix events so far this season - those in Madrid and Saint-Tropez.

Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander leads the 2018 rankings ©LGCT/Stefano Grasso
Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander leads the 2018 rankings ©LGCT/Stefano Grasso

Both Tops-Alexander and Brash have also won a Grand Prix each, but the former has also been on the podium and consistently in the points to keep her tally above the British riders, with the top eight results counting towards the final outcome.

Former winners back in action this weekend include Italians Alberto Zorzi and Emanuele Guadiano, and Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohammed.

Zorzi triumphed in 2017, while Guadiano and Mohammed claimed victories in 2016 and 2014 respectively.

Among the other riders looking to take the win will be world number one Harrie Smolders of The Netherlands.

Monaco has been an established part of the LGCT calendar since 2006  

Port Hercules and the iconic Prince’s Palace of Monaco will provide the backdrop to the venue for the midway point of the 2018 LGCT season.