The Tour of Qatar is always broken up into echelons(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Echelons on the highway in the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish has some fun in the final stage of the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Enormous billboards in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wouter Weylandt in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen and some colourfully dressed podium hostesses in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Leif Hoste and Johan Vansummeren with a Belgian fan in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Juan Antonio Flecha gets a bottle from Eric Dekker in 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Roger Hammond (Cervelo) won stage 2 in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Roger Hammond and Heinrich Haussler enjoy their jerseys in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Gamrin had all three jerseys with Hans Dekkers (Sprint), Brad Wiggins (leader) and Huub Duyn (young rider) in the 2009 Tour of Qatar on stage 2(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bradley Wiggins leads Team Sky to the stage win in the 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky was best team in the 2010 Tour of Qatar TTT(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara opens the 2011 Tour of Qatar in the prologue(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Veelers in the colourful Skil-Shimano kit in 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas) gives heart hands as a salute on stage 6 of the 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil) shows the winner's trophy in the 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wouter Mol behind the Vacansoleil team en route to winning the overall 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton shattered on stage 5 of the 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Belgian champion Tom Boonen takes out stage 3 of the 2010 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Taylor Phinney experienced his first Tour of Qatar in 2010 with Axel Merckx's Trek Livestrong team(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matti Breschel leads Edvald Boasson Hagen in an echelon on stage 2(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The breakaway can never get out of sight in the Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Over the years the desert changed little.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Garmin races to the stage win in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Steels goes down in the sprint ons tage 2 of the 2007 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Steels looking ghastly after his crash on stage 2 of the 2007 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lars Micahelsen relaxes in the leader's jersey at the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A young Thomas Voeckler before stage 2 of the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mario Cipollini (Liquigas) in stage 3 of the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Axel Merckx (Lotto) takes tea before stage 5 of the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Discovery Channel team in the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Leon Van Bon loves his camel(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrea Tafi lined up in the 2005 Tour of Qatar with Saunier Duval(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Phonak team in the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen in the points jersey and teammate, race leader Wilfried Cretskens(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Race leader Tom Boonen in the 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish interviewed by Al Jazeera in 2009(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bradley Wiggins in the leader's jersey in the 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Garmin team took the win in the TTT in 2009 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rafaa Chtioui (Doha Team) in the 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen up the middle on stage 6 of the 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Riders endured a sandstorm on stage 6 of the 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Locals watch the peloton speed past(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen puts the points jersey over his leader's jersey in the 2008 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Quickstep team in the 2007 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Robbie Hunter (Phonak) celebrates his win on stage 1 of the 2005 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen wins the sprint over Heinrich Haussler and Mark Renshaw on stage 1 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Another day, another echelon in the Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish had a small spill, but won the stage.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Brent Bookwalter (BMC) tosses the points jersey bouquet in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stijn Devolder about to end up at the bottom of a pile of riders in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Brent Bookwalter could hardly believe he'd won stage 1 of the Tour of Qatar in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The wind shatters the peloton in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The hot, hot sun(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Martin Velits leads the breakaway under the hot sun in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Caution.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Juan Antonio Flecha surprised by the appearance of Hein Verbruggen?(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thomas Dekker and Jack Bauer help Tyler Farrar after a crash(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish wins stage 6 of the Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Al Zubara fort provides a backdrop for the peloton(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard (Sky) punishes the peloton on stage 5 of the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Taylor Phinney takes a big drink of water in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish at the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The sun casts along shadow on the Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Katusha sticks together at the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Camel crossing, a classic Tour of Qatar shot.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bookwalter gets a feed in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nacer Bouhanni's bike isn't going to go again.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Brent Bookwalter protected by the BMC team in the 2013 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Karsten Kroon ended up on the pavement(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish is helped by a teammate after crashing on stage 6 of the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thor Hushovd (BMC) hits the deck in the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini) wins on stage 5 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Shipping containers, illustrated.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dan Lloyd ushers Garmin through stage 5 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Renshaw takes the stage win in the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Adriano Malori stranded in the desert on stage 4 of the 201 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Heinrich Haussler (Garmin) in the lead after stage 3 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sands blown across the road, making more work for the mechanics(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) on the camel at the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Heinrich Haussler (Garmin) got his win on stage 3 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen took the lead on stage 1 of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Renshaw with the trophy in the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Huge skyscrapes emerge from the desert like a mirage in Doha(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert in the wrong end of the echelonds(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen thrilled with his win in the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish looks back to see where his competition finished(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish (Sky) with some luxury seating in the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen made it two on stage 4 of the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
World champion Mark Cavendish writes down the riders to watch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rabobank takes a turn in the stage 2 TTT in the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Garmin won the TTT in the 2012 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The camel cops stand guard(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen got to winning early in the 2012 Tour of Qatar, on stage 1(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lars Boom played with going off the front on the first stage of the 2011 Tour of Qatar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Tour of Qatar is entering its 13th year on the UCI calendar, and the peloton will push its triskaidekaphobia aside to once again do battle against crosswinds and crashes in the Middle Eastern peninsula.
Photographer Tim De Waele has been on the Tour of Qatar since 2005, when the race hosted defending champion Tom Boonen and his QuickStep team.
Fast forward nine years, and the scenes will likely be similar: desert winds howl, split the peloton along the long, open highway as sand blasts the riders and their gear.
But there is beauty, too - enriched by the wealth of the country, its soaring skyscrapers, lush gardens and seaside charm. The peloton makes the view even more picturesque, adding bold strokes of colour to an otherwise monochrome landscape.
We hope you enjoy this gallery, and come back for Cyclingnews' full coverage of the 2014 Tour of Qatar.
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