Renshaw faces tough test

Australian lead-out ace turned marquee speedster Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) will enter the tour as defending champion but faces stiff competition in former team-mate and road world gold medallist Mark Cavendish as well as Andre Greipel and Tyler Farrar.
 
Merckx was in Australia last month for the Tour Down Under in which Griepel (Lotto-Belisol) won three stages with a reduced team following the withdrawal of Jurgen Roelandts due to injury.

“I think we have the best sprinters on the start,” Merckx told Cycling Central.

“I think only the Tour de France can have the same sprinters that we have here at the Tour of Qatar. There is no climb but the wind is very harsh and it makes the race very, very hard.”

Asked for a tip ahead of the six-stage meet that starts February 5 and includes an 11.3km team time-trial on day two, Merckx named Greipel first but not necessarily foremost.

“It’s very open. I saw Greipel (in Australia) but Cavendish is strong, (Tom) Boonen, (Francesco) Chicchi, (Peter) Sagan - there are a lot of people who can win the Tour of Qatar,” the 34 - time Tour de France stage winner said.

Boonen has won the wind-swept desert race three times (2009, 2008, 2006) and has the record number of stage wins totalling 18.

The 31-year-old enters on the back of a stage win at the Tour de San Luis in which his Omega Pharma - Quickstep teammate Chicchi took two consecutive victories.

Cavendish will make his season debut for new team Sky in the rainbow jersey whilst Farrar (Garmin - Barracuda) will have the support of teammates including Robbie Hunter and new signing Jack Bauer.

Emerging sprinters John Degenkolb (Project 1T4i) as well as Andrea Guardini of the Farnese Vini - Selle Italia squad, which Filippo Pozzato joins this season, will all also start.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist and GreenEDGE recruit Allan Davis will replace the injured Mitch Docker, who crashed at a Bright training camp last month.

Three-time Tour de France green jersey champion Robbie McEwen as well as Baden Cooke will join Davis for the fledgling outfit’s first overseas hit-out.

Merckx, working under the Paumer umbrella, has been instrumental in the organisation of the tour now in its 11th year.

“The (Qatar) Cycling Federation they asked me to come and start one here to see if it was possible to organise,” Merckx said.

“The Cycling Federation is the organiser but we have contact between the Cycling Federation and the ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation). We engage the ASO to do the logistics and things like that.”

The overall Tour of Qatar champion will take home €10,000 (AUD$13,000) with a total prize pool of €103, 375 (AUD$127,129) on offer.

Twitter: @SophieSmith86

Sophie Smith is in Qatar as a guest of Amaury Sport Organisation