Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep)
Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep)
Having signed off his first race of the season, the Tour de San Luis, with victory on the final stage, Mark Cavendish will face old rivals Elia Viviani (Team Sky) and John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) in Dubai.
Cavendish got the better of both men last year, at the Tour of Turkey and Tour of California respectively, but struggled last time he was in Dubai as Degenkolb’s team-mate Marcel Kittel dominated the sprints.
However, despite finishing second twice to young Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria in San Luis, the Manx Missile has started this season in better shape than 12 months ago and will be keen to exert his sprinting authority early on.
Tony Martin and chief lead-out man Mark Renshaw form a fearsome attack for Etixx-QuickStep and the Belgian super team will hope to prove their class in the expected crosswinds, too.
Fit and firing, and on the back of a first victory of the season, Cavendish will be the man to beat when it comes to bunch gallops.