W and Z physics at the LHC

The two general-purpose experiments in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, ATLAS and CMS, offer a wide range of "new" and "standard" physics. In this note the Standard Model physics potential - and more specifically that of W and Z bosons - is briefly outlined. An overview is given of feasibility studies for gauge boson precision measurements. Further, the use of W and Z final states to improve the existing experimental limits on triple gauge couplings in discussed. Finally, the importance of the Z and W samples during the commissioning phase - for calibration and alignment of the detector, but also as a reference physics sample for studies of the underlying event and the determination of parton density functions - is discussed.