A stage winner on Green Mountain in 2013, while all the talk in the summer was of his GC rivals, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) appeared to have slipped under the radar a little.

But you should write Purito off only at your peril, as he looks to put an injury-ravaged season behind him and prove he still has time to find that elusive overall Grand Tour win.

The form of Alexander Kristoff in Qatar will mean it is a buoyant Katusha team which takes to the Muscat start line and the Norwegian has the chance to add more wins to his CV.

Should the race be won on Green Mountain, though, it will be Rodriguez who all eyes are on – particularly after his victory there two years ago.

Rodriguez narrowly missed out on a podium spot in Oman last year, finishing fourth overall, but after getting his legs rolling at the Dubai Tour this is his chance to remind his rivals why he is revered as one of the peloton’s best mountain men.