7th June 2013 06:34
The women's event brings together some of Europe's best runners this season, including two athletes who have stamped their mark when it matters at the major events.
It is almost a year since the European Athletics Championships but Helsinki was the setting for a brilliant performance by Portugal's Ana Dulce Felix to win the 10,000m in 31:44.75.
A fine run by Felix saw her win by over four seconds from Jo Pavey, of Great Britain, and she has experienced team success with Portugal before after their collective triumph at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Dublin in 2009.
Felix will be joined in Pravets by Daniela Cunha and Catarina Ribeiro but Türkiye's Elvan Abeylegesse will the runner they all need to keep an eye on.
Abeylegesse's record speaks for itself. She won two silver at the OIympics in Beijing in 2008 - in the 5000m and 10,000m - and completed the 5000m-10,000m double at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona in 2010.
She is part of four-strong Turkish team, with Bahar Dogan, Sultan Haydar and Mehtap Sizmaz joining Abeylegesse.
Hungary's Kristina Papp is third on the 2013 European Athletics rankings with 32:42.40 from Budapest in April but Spain's Sonia Bejarano, who is fifth in the lists with 32:55.57, and Serbia's Olivera Jevtic, who is sixth with 32:58.80, should also be in there making their mark.
A year ago Pavey was second - just as she then was behind Felix in Helsinki - but she is not here this time because she is pregnant. France's Christelle Daunay, who was third in Bilbao, is back.
Spain won the men's event by more than a minute in Bilbao and while they have a strong line-up to defend that crown, Italy have one of Europe's best endurance athletes in Andrea Lalli, the gold medallist from the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Budapest in December.
Italy were fourth in the European Cup 10,000m a year ago but Lalli is at the forefront of a squad of five who could make the podium.
He is joined by Gian Marco Buttazo, Ahmed El Mazoury, Stefano La Rosa and Stefano Scaini for a race where Spain will pose a big threat again.
Alemayehu Bezabeh, Jose Espana, Alejandro Fernandez, Manual Angel Penas and Sergio Sanchez make up their squad - and they have the quickest man in the field on times in 2013.
Fernandez ran 28:55.27 in Mataro in April, a sharp, early test of speed which could be useful here.
2012 RESULTS
MEN
Race A
1 Polat Kemboi Ar„±kan (TUR) 27:56.28
2 Ayad Lamdassem (ESP) 28:04.22
3 Carles Castillejo (ESP) 28:07.50
Race B
1 Abdi Hakin Ulad (DEN) 28:57.06
2 Luís Pinto (POR) 29:37.52
3 José Ramos (POR) 29:38.73
Team
1 SPAIN 1:24:45.71
2 PORTUGAL 1:26:13.34
3 FRANCE 1:26:33.60
4 ITALY 1:27:14.69
5 SWEDEN 1:28:11.50
6 DENMARK 1:28:41.14
7 TURKEY 1:28:55.89
WOMEN
1 Sara Moreira (POR) 31:23.51
2 Jo Pavey (GBR) 31:32.22
3 Christelle Daunay (FRA) 31:35.81
Team
1 GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND 1:36:25.47
2 ITALY 1:36:40.13
3 PORTUGAL 1:36:51.26
4 BELARUS 1:40:12.66
5 SPAIN 1:40:17.54