Fresh from basking in the warmth of Australia and Argentina, the world's best cycling teams head to the Gulf for another dose of sunshine at the Tour of Qatar (February 9-14).
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step appear set to provide a strong challenge for overall victory with four-time champion Tom Boonen. However, the fact the race this year includes an individual time trial means that Fabian Cancellara could pose a serious threat.
Brit watch
Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step ) Luke Rowe (Team Sky) Ian Stannard (Team Sky)
Key stage
The sprint stages all offer bonus seconds, but stage three's 10.9km individual time trial has the potential to open up more significant gaps in the general classification.
The jerseys
- Gold: General classification. - Silver: Points classification. - White: Best young rider.
Time bonuses
- 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds will be awarded to the first three finishers on each stage. - 3, 2 and 1 second will be awarded to the first three riders over the line at intermediate sprints.
