Monday 26 October 2020 11:39, UK
Mark Cavendish will bid to win the World Championship road race for the second time in his career in Qatar on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Manxman is set to lead a strong Great Britain team, but he will face stiff competition for victory from the likes of defending champion Peter Sagan and Marcel Kittel.
Here is everything you need to know about the race…
The race starts at 8.30am BST and is scheduled to finish at about 2.35pm BST.
The race takes place on a 257.5km course in and around Doha. It starts in the Aspire Zone, heads north across the exposed desert to Abu Yazoul and then returns to the city for seven laps of a 15.2km circuit on The Pearl Qatar island.
There are no climbs and although the wind could be a factor, a bunch sprint is the most likely finish.
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Peter Sagan (Slovakia)
Sagan is the defending world champion and bookmakers' favourite for victory. He is not the fastest sprinter in the world, but his remarkable consistency means he will almost certainly be in contention.
Sky Bet odds: 9/2
Andre Greipel (Germany)
Greipel is one of two cards the Germans can play along with Kittel (see below), so it will be interesting to see who ends up being their protected sprinter. Greipel has 10 wins to his name this year and, despite being 34, remains one of the fastest riders in the world.
Sky Bet odds: 5/1
Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
Cavendish dominated the sprints at the Tour de France and will be the man to beat if he can recapture that form. He will also be supported by a strong, nine-man British team, but he suffered from an intestinal illness at the back end of September, so his preparation has been far from ideal.
Sky Bet odds: 6/1
Marcel Kittel (Germany)
Kittel had been regarded as the No 1 sprinter in the world up until the Tour de France, but he then suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Cavendish and hasn't looked like the same rider since. He won a one-day race in France last month but was off the pace at the Eneco Tour a couple of weeks later, so his form could be better.
Sky Bet odds: 6/1
Fernando Gaviria (Colombia)
Gaviria is not only one of the fastest sprinters in the field, but he is also so powerful that he is capable of a late solo escape, which is how he won the Paris-Tours one-day race last Sunday. That was one of two victories in the past month, so he starts the world road race with both form and confidence.
Sky Bet odds: 7/1
Tom Boonen (Belgium)
Boonen might not be the fastest sprinter in the world, but with a record 22 Tour of Qatar stage wins to his name, there is no one better at mastering the wind and extreme heat thrown up in this part of the world. The 35-year-old has also won a couple of one-day races in sprints in the past few months, so he has decent form.
Sky Bet odds: 12/1
Alexander Kristoff (Norway)
Kristoff won a combined total of five stages at the Tour of Qatar and Tour of Oman this year, so like Boonen, the Middle East is a happy hunting ground for the Norwegian. He is one of the fastest sprinters in the world on his day.
Sky Bet odds: 14/1
Nacer Bouhanni (France)
Bouhanni has 10 sprint wins to his name this year, the most recent of which came only a fortnight ago, so he has good form. However, he could face competition for the right to lead the French team from Arnaud Demare, who is also sprinting well at the moment.
Sky Bet odds: 14/1
Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands)
Like Bouhanni, Groenewegen has won 10 sprints so far this year and tasted victory at both the Tour of Britain and Eneco Tour last month. Beating the very best on the biggest stage is another matter, though, and it will require the performance of his career to claim the rainbow jersey.
Sky Bet odds: 25/1
Elia Viviani (Italy)
Viviani has beaten both Cavendish and Kittel in sprints this year and is up there with the fastest sprinters in the world. However, concentrating on racing on the track at the Olympic Games compromised his road results and he doesn't take the best form to Qatar.
Sky Bet odds: 33/1
2015: Peter Sagan (Svk)
2014: Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol)
2013: Rui Costa (Por)
2012: Philippe Gilbert (Bel)
2011: Mark Cavendish (GB)
2010: Thor Hushovd (Nor)
2009: Cadel Evans (Aus)
2008: Alessandro Ballan (Ita)
2007: Paolo Bettini (Ita)
2006: Paolo Bettini (Ita)
2005: Tom Boonen (Bel)
Argentina: Ariel Richeze, Mauro Richeze, Francisco Chamorro.
Australia: Michael Matthews, Caleb Ewan, Zak Dempster, Mitchell Docker, Luke Durbridge, Heinrich Haussler, Mathew Hayman, Mark Renshaw, Steele von Hoff.
Belgium: Tom Boonen, Greg Van Avermaet, Jens Debusschere, Jens Keukeleire, Iljo Keisse, Nikolas Maes, Oliver Naesen, Jurgen Roelandts, Jasper Stuyven.
Colombia: Fernando Gaviria, Carlos Alzate, Edwin Avila, Omar Mendoza, Brayan Ramirez, Rigoberto Uran, Walter Vargas.
Denmark: Magnus Cort Nielsen, Michael Morkov, Chris Juul-Jensen, Matti Breschel, Lars Ytting Bak, Soren Kragh Andersen.
France: Nacer Bouhanni, Arnaud Demare, William Bonnet, Christophe Laporte, Cyril Lemoine, Yoann Offredo, Adrien Petit, Marc Sarreau, Geoffrey Soupe.
Germany: Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel, John Degenkolb, Tony Martin, Nils Politt, Jasha Sutterlin.
Great Britain: Mark Cavendish, Adam Blythe, Steve Cummings, Dan McLay, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Geraint Thomas, Scott Thwaites.
Ireland: Sam Bennett, Matt Brammeier, Ryan Mullen.
Italy: Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Daniele Bennati, Sonny Colbrelli, Jacopo Guarnieri, Daniel Oss, Manuel Quinziato, Fabio Sabatini, Matteo Trentin.
Netherlands: Dylan Groenewegen, Koen de Kort, Tom Dumoulin, Sebastian Langeveld, Tom Leezer, Niki Terpstra, Dylan van Baarle, Jos van Emden, Danny van Poppel.
Norway: Alexander Kristoff, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Vegard Breen, Sven Erik Bystrom, Sondre Holst Enger, Daniel Hoelgaard, Truls Engen Korsaeth, Vegard Stake Laengen, Kristoffer Skjerping.
Poland: Adrian Banaszek, Maciej Bodnar, Karol Domagalski, Lukasz Owsian, Maciej Paterski, Lukasz Wisniowski.
Slovakia: Peter Sagan, Juraj Sagan, Michael Kolar.
