Mark Cavendish is set to make his Team Sky debut on the demanding roads of the Tour of Qatar.
The race has become a traditional early season stopping point for the best teams in the world. Hard racing and warm temperatures are just what every squad needs as the year gets into full swing. With organisation duties fulfilled by Tour de France organisers the A.S.O the race has grown in stature and routinely attracts a top-level field.
The pan-flat roads mean the six-day event is a haven for the sprinters, yet long exposed roads and the threat of cross-winds have often thrown up a surprise when it comes to the overall winner. This is a race which really can be won and lost in a split second.
The entry list often combines a who's who of sprinting talent with the cream of Classics contenders. The likelihood of crosswinds combined with riders of the propensity to put the race in the gutter means the racing can be some of the toughest in the early season.
The race also sees a couple of significant riders making their debut for Team Sky as world champion Mark Cavendish and Bernhard Eisel get their season under way.
Debut
Qatar has been pinpointed as the first port of call for Cavendish with the Manxman hoping to add to his two previous stage victories in the 2009 edition.
With a solid winter of training already in the books, the 26-year-old feels he is starting out the season and a new adventure on a solid platform.
He said: “It’s been really good. I’ve had a solid winter and I want to perform all through this year.
“I’ll start things off with the Tours of Qatar and Oman then come back for the European one-day races. Then it’ll be the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Olympic Games.”
“The last couple of seasons it’s always just been about the Tour de France but now I want to repeat 2009 where I was successful throughout the whole season and I don’t want to be chasing July. I want to know exactly where I am in May and June so I can perform my best at the Tour de France and the Olympics.”
For stage-by-stage analysis of the Tour of Qatar take a look at Team Sky’s route guide.
