Five cities vying to stage the 2012 Summer Games reveal their hands this week as Olympic chiefs scrutinise their plans for holding the world's greatest sporting extravaganza. Their weighty documents which pinpoint every last detail for proposals to host the 2012 Olympics are expected to be key to all the candidates as the race began in earnest on Monday.
The heavyweight line-up of London, Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow have until midnight on Monday to hand in their bid books although some have already landed on the doorstep of International Olympic Committee's headquarters at Chateau Vidy in Switzerland's Lausanne.
The bid book or candidature file process is shrouded in secrecy and Olympic officials on Monday refused to say which, if any, cities had delivered their files.
However a source close to the process confirmed to Reuters that both London and Madrid had beaten the deadline with time to spare, delivering their documents by hand.
CANDIDATURE FILES: London's bid was presented in Lausanne by a British Airways hostess and a schoolgirl basketball player who hoped to represent Britain at the 2012 Games.
Paris bid chiefs said on Monday that they delivered 120 copies of their candidature files to the Chateau last Thursday and will reveal its contents on Wednesday.
"We are eager to share the highlights of our Candidature File ... and are confident that our concept and the supporting technical details will meet the highest standards demanded by the Olympic Movement," Paris bid chief Philippe Baudillon said on Monday.
"Our Bid comes from the heart of the French nation; a heart that beats with L'Amour des Jeux."
New York held a submission ceremony last Thursday on the city's Brooklyn Bridge to send off their 600-page file. NYC2012 also said it would make the contents of its book available on Wednesday.
Moscow said on Monday its 599-page tome had been couriered to the IOC last Wednesday. It plans to reveal the contents on Tuesday.
HARD FACTS: Since the five cities were shortlisted in May, theory, conjecture and speculation have surrounded the selection process. But the candidates' bid books must deal in hard facts.
The questionnaire quizzed each city on 17 separate themes, ranging from a city's vision for the Games and what legacy it hopes the Olympics will leave, to its transport network and accommodation.
Paris and Madrid emerged as early favourites after the initial selection in May and they are expected to continue to impress the IOC.
The Candidature Files will be analysed in detail by the IOC's Evaluation Commission, which will also visit the candidate cities before issuing a report one month prior to the election.
Inspectors will visit Madrid first in their whistle-stop tour next year. The Spanish capital will be followed by London, New York, Paris and then Moscow.
The reason for the order is purely logistical, the IOC says.
The inspection panel, led by Morocco's 1984 Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion Nawal El Moutawakel, will meet bid leaders and city and government officials during the visits and its findings are due to be published in May 2005.
IOC members have been barred from visiting bid cities since the Salt Lake City voting scandal in 1998 and 1999.
The team will visit Madrid from February 3-6, London from February 16-19, New York from February 21-24, Paris from March 9-12 and Moscow from March 14-17.
The winner will be announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore in July 2005.