Crow Road, the one categorised climb, will not shred an elite peloton featuring Grand Tour and Classics winners, but once it rolls into Glasgow, battle will truly commence.
A 14.3km circuit of the city centre will be tackled 10 times meaning a combined 400 tight corners.
"It will be an accumulation of efforts," Van der Poel, who will share the Dutch leadership with Dylan van Baarle, said on Friday.
"It's going to be full gas racing," he said, while Philipsen said: "It will be turning, turning, accelerating all the time."
Other favourites include two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, Denmark's former world champion Mads Pedersen and Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski.
Persons:
Fred Wright, Mathieu Van der, Van der Poel, Dylan van Baarle, Van Baarle, Van der, Remco Evenepoel, Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert, Evenepoel, Philipsen, Tadej, Mads Pedersen, Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge
Organizations:
GLASGOW, UCI, Montrose, Tour de France, de France, Thomson
Locations:
Edinburgh, Crow, Glasgow, Grand, Belgian, Slovenia