We all know the grandest of Grand Tours starts on Saturday.

We know Bradley Wiggins has reached his target weight (73kg for a man of that height just aint right) and his sideburns have been removed.

We know Alberto Contador wants to make it 3 wins for him and that Captain America wants to make it 8 wins for him, Texas, and the Fight Against Cancer.

But the day before, in Trieste, Italy, 150 of the world's best female cyclists will roll off the start line for the Giro d'Italia - a 10-stage tour traversing the north of the country.

For both elite men and women, all European countries had their National Championships last week. The Giro Donne will be the first opportunity for UCI women's teams to proudly display their new champions' jerseys.

The tour itself is notoriously hard and oft absurd in its circumstances. There are sights of the stragglers being instructed by race officials to either hold on to motos and cars on the horrible climbs, or risk being time cut.

After a stellar start to the season, Cervélo Test Team's Emma Pooley (GBR) will be confident of a good result. The women's team has a bevy of extraordinary climbers, including Brisbane's Carla Ryan (2009 Australian Road and TT Champion).

Pooley won Women's Fleche Wallone, the Tour de l'Aude (a 10-day mountainous tour in France) and recently broke Nicole Cooke's stranglehold on the GB Road title. She has shown her strength as a world class time trial rider as well, so the 17km stage 3 ITT will allow her some extra time over her whippet challengers.

HTC-Columbia Women have a joint interest in stage wins and the overall. Germany's Ina Teutenberg (pictured, above) has already won more than 20 races season, including her 3rd victory in the Philadelphia Classic earlier this month. With career victories outnumbering any other HTC rider, including Mark Cavendish, she's a formidable presence!

The teams' likely GC contender, 2006 road World Champion (and newly crowned German TT Champion), Judith Arndt, will be supported by Luise Keller (GER), Noemi Cantele (ITA) and Evelyn Stevens (USA).

Another team that has proven quietly indefatigueable this season is the new Dutch squad, Nederland Bloeit. The team was built around the multiple World Champion, Marianne Vos, who has rainbow stipes in cyclocross, track and road - this young woman is a tour de force. The squad has shown that class, good leadership and opportunity can garner results.

Of the Italian teams with pride on the line, my squad (Team Valdarno) has been focussing on this tour since 2009 Road World Champion, Tatiana Guderzo, signed in November last year. Three days ago, she won her 4th National TT title and our sprinter, Monia Baccaille claimed a consecutive tircolore jersey for the road title.

Once the Giro gets though 3 sprint stages, a time trial and some laps of Lake Orta, we travel right past the Australian National team base in Catronno, Varese for stage 6. (Here is each stage mapped out on the tour site.)

Last week, I foolishly made a solo effort at course recon for the allegedly easy mountain stage: Como to Albese. Sure, I was hoping to enjoy views of the lake, determine the nature of the climbs and suss out opportunities and timing for a potential break.

Five hours and a lightning storm later, I perused my SRM file. The first climb took an hour, and the second famous Ghisello (complete with monument to exhausted riders at the top) took 'only' 50mins, with an average of 10% and max of 14% gradient.

As soon as I got warm and dry, I emailed SRAM begging for a compact. He said no and sent me a 28. I'll let you know how that goes up the infamous Stelvio, two days later. I want to make it to Monza for the final stage on Sunday, 11th July. Cut some laps for the sprint-fest and then sit back and watch le Tour like everyone else in cyclingworld.

Australian women riding the Giro Donne:

Carla Ryan (Cervélo Test Team)
Vicki Whitelaw, Josie Tomic and Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto Belilsol Ladies Team)
Carly Hibberd (Michela Fanini)
Kirsty Broun, Tiffany Cromwell, Shara Gillow, Lisa Jacobs, Lauren Kitchen, Emma Mackie and Carlee Taylor (AIS Women's National Team)
Bridie O'Donnell (Team Valdarno)