A total of 176 riders will be on the start line at the Guggenheim Museum as the 110th edition of the Grand Tour race starts in Basque city Bilbao.

With the likes of Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Richard Carapaz of Ecuador and Wout van Aert of Belgium participating among others, some would argue it is the most anticipated cycling event of the year.

The race that covers 3,404 kilometres over the 21 stages - eight flat stages, four hilly stages, one time trial and eight mountain stages - is concluding at the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23.

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme said he was in "constant liaison" with the French Government and was willing to adapt their logistics if needed in response to three nights of civil unrest in France following the killing of a 17-year-old boy by police this week. 

Among the 21 scheduled stages, four of them are summit finishes, including the one to Puy de Dôme.

With 3,400 metres of climbing in the opening stage, specialists like Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands, Van Aert and French favourite Julian Alaphilippe will all be eyeing the yellow jersey.

But all eyes will be on Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma who are trying to be champions again with main rival and UAE Team Emirates rider Pogačar in great form.

Vingegaard was untouchable during the O Gran Camiño, Itzulia Basque Country, and the Critérium du Dauphiné but the Slovenian came out on top in the last meeting between the duo.

The Paris-Nice in March saw Pogačar finish ahead of David Gaudu of France and Vingegaard.

He has also won the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne this season.

Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley will be carrying the hopes for BORA-Hansgrohe with 22-year-old Mattias Skjelmose set to challenge the Australian.

Danish Skjelmose will be high on confidence after beating the likes of likes of Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Juan Ayuso of Spain for a surprise title at the Tour de Suisse.