Sir Bradley Wiggins starts his final season with Team Sky on Sunday, when he takes his place on the Tour of Qatar start-line in Dukhan.

Wiggins will kick off his Paris-Roubaix preparations in the desert, in a race which has served as preparation for the Hell of the North for the likes of Etixx-QuickStep duo Niki Terpstra and Tom Boonen in the past.

Indeed, Terpstra won the Tour of Qatar last year before claiming victory in Roubaix while Boonen is a four-time champion in Qatar, having proved his prowess in the crosswinds.

Another big name looking to make waves at Paris-Roubaix and on the start line in Qatar will be Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), who will race for his new team for the first time.

Wiggins, meanwhile, is likely to pull on the rainbow skinsuit of world time trial champion for the first time on the stage three time trial – likely to be a pivotal stage in an otherwise pan-flat race.

The time trial takes place on the Lusail circuit, as it did last year, with the sprinters otherwise expected to shine in the desert.

Crosswinds often wreak havoc in this race, however, so while the five road stages are entirely flat, tactics and clever riding on the front could still open up the general classification.

With that in mind, who is likely to triumph in Qatar? Here are five of the top contenders for victory.