With the 2014 season now under way, the top teams in pro cycling are bound for the deserts for some hot weather racing before the return of the UCI WorldTour.

Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEDGE) has already kicked off his season in style with victory at the Tour Down Under while Nairo Quintana (Movistar) won at the 2.1-ranked Tour de San Luis as he builds towards the Giro d’Italia.

The desert racing in Dubai, Qatar and Oman will now see many Giro d’Italia and Tour de France hopefuls stepping up their preparations for the coming months with Team Sky’s Chris Froome starting his season in Oman.

But aside from some incredible heat and plenty of high-octane races, what lies in store for the peloton in the Middle East?

Check out our previews of each race over the following pages.