Tour of Qatar 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

The Tour of Qatar, starting on Sunday, February 6, offers a relatively easy warm-up for Classics riders to refamiliarise themselves with whipping cross winds and nervous bunch racing, and test their form. 

A total of 16 teams with eight riders per squad will line up for the six-day, UCI 2.1-ranked race. The teams are a mixture of Proteam and Professional Continental-level squads. 

Britain is well represented at the race with ten riders from four teams: Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad), Russell Downing (Team Sky), Alex Dowsett (Team Sky), Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), Jeremy Hunt (Team Sky), Ian Stannard (Team Sky), Roger Hammond (Garmin-Cervelo), Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervelo), Mark McNally (An Post-Sean Kelly) and Andrew Fenn (An Post-Sean Kelly).

Cavendish, Hammond, Hunt and Downing will be gunning for stage wins in the bunch sprints up against the likes of three-time Qatar winner Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step), Theo Bos (Rabobank), Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervelo) and Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad). 

Last year Belgian Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil) took a surprise overall win after getting into a successful escape on stage two with stage winner Geert Steurs (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator). The fragmented bunch couldn't bring the race back together in the crosswinds and Mol went on to defend his lead until the race's conclusion.

Mol is not back to defend his title in 2011 as his Vacansoleil team aren't on the start list.

Tour of Qatar 2011: Video

Tour of Qatar 2011: Video highlights

Tour of Qatar 2011: Latest news

Renshaw loses sleep but wins big time in Qatar

Haussler's battle for Tour of Qatar victory not finished

Haussler delighted by first win in seven months

Hunt and Hammond move up in Qatar

ASO enforces race radio ban in Qatar

Cavendish has second bad fall of season in Tour of Qatar

Dowsett aiming for Tour of Qatar prologue

Tour of Qatar 2011: Stage reports

Stage five: Renshaw claims overall win

Stage four: Renshaw takes stage and lead

Stage three: Haussler takes control

Stage two: Haussler wins stage two

Stage one: Boonen wins opening road stage and takes lead

Prologue: Boom wins Tour of Qatar opener

Tour of Qatar 2011: Photo galleries

By Graham Watson

Stage four gallery

Stage three gallery

Stage two gallery

Stage one gallery

Prologue photo gallery

Tour of Qatar 2011: Teams

An Post-Sean Kelly (Ireland)

Astana (Kazakhstan)

BMC Racing Team (USA)

Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli (Italy)

Francaise des Jeux (France)

Garmin-Cervelo (USA)

Geox-TMC (Italy)

HTC-Highroad (USA)

Katusha (Russia)

Lampre-ISD (Italy)

Leopard-Trek (Luxembourg)

Quickstep (Belgium)

Rabobank (Netherlands)

Skil-Shimano (Netherlands)

Team Sky (Great Britain)

Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator (Belgium)

Tour of Qatar 2011: British riders

Click on a rider's name to read their individual profile.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

Russell Downing (Team Sky)

Alex Dowsett (Team Sky)

Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)

Jeremy Hunt (Team Sky)

Ian Stannard (Team Sky)

Roger Hammond (Garmin-Cervelo)

Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervelo)

Mark McNally (An Post-Sean Kelly)

Andrew Fenn (An Post-Sean Kelly)

Sun, sand and crosswinds

Tour of Qatar 2011: Stages

Sunday Feb 6: Prologue, Cultural Village to Cultural Village, 2.5km, winner: Lars Boom>>

Monday Feb 7: Stage 1, Dukhan to Al Khor Corniche, 145.5km, winner: Tom Boonen>>

Tuesday Feb 8: Stage 2, Camel Race Track to Doha Golf Club, 135.5km, winner: Heinrich Haussler>>

Wednesday Feb 9: Stage 3, Al Wakra to Mesaieed, 150.5km, winner: Heinrich Haussler>>

Thursday Feb 10: Stage 4, West Bay Lagoon to Al Kharaitiyat, 153.5km, winner: Mark Renshaw>>

Friday Feb 11: Stage 5, Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche, 126.5km, winner: Andrea Guardini>>

Overall winner: Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad)

Tour of Qatar 2011: TV guide

The 2011 Tour of Qatar will be shown by satellite and digital TV channel British Eurosport with both live coverage and highlights programmes. Schedule may be subject to change.

Sunday, February 6, 12-1pm, Prologue, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Sunday, February 6, 7.30-8.30pm, Prologue, British Eurosport 2, highights

Monday, February 7, 12-1pm, Stage 1, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Monday, February 7, 10.15-11.15pm, Stage 1, British Eurosport 2, highlights

Tuesday, February 8, 12-1pm, Stage 2, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Tuesday, February 8, 9.45-10.45pm, Stage 2, British Eurosport 2, highlights

Wednesday, February 9, 12-1pm, Stage 3, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Wednesday, February 9, 8.45-9.45pm, Stage 3, British Eurosport 2, highlights

Thursday, February 10, 12-1pm, Stage 4, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Thursday, February 10, 7-8pm, Stage 4, British Eurosport 2, highlights

Friday, Feburary 11, 12-1pm, Stage 5, British Eurosport 2, LIVE

Friday, Feburary 11, 5.45-6.30pm, Stage 5, British Eurosport 2, highlights

2010 Tour of Qatar winner Wouter Mol

Tour of Qatar: Last year's final top ten (2010)

1. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil in 15-55-17

2. Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator at 35secs

3. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step at 1-45

4. Roger Kluge (Ger) Milram at 1-59

5. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing at 2-05

6. Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Katusha at 2-09

7. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 2-17

8. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo at 2-28

9. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo at 2-37

10. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Saxo Bank at 2-40

Tour of Qatar: Previous winners

2010: Wouter Mol

2009: Tom Boonen

2008: Tom Boonen

2007: Wilfried Cretskens

2006: Tom Boonen

2005: Lars Michaelsen

2004: Robert Hunter

2003: Alberto Lodo

2002: Thorsten Wilhelms

Related links

Tour of Qatar 2010: Coverage index

Cycling Weekly: Rider Profiles index