Gallery: Dubai Tour riders hit the beach

Image 1 of 35

The stars are on show for the 2014 Dubai Tour (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 2 of 35

The inaugral Dubai Tour sees the world's best riders take to their bikes (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 3 of 35

All for one: The WorldTour gathers for the first Dubai Tour (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 4 of 35

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) is hoping for even more speed in 2014 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 5 of 35

Mark Cavendish cools off in the sea (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 6 of 35

World champion Rui Costa and the man he beat last year Joaquim Rodriguez (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 7 of 35

Sagan, Cancellara, Kittel, Phinney and Martin take part in a photo shoot (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 8 of 35

The leading riders in Dubai take to the beach (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 9 of 35

Vincenzo Nibali is using the Dubai Tour as part of his Tour de France build up (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 10 of 35

World time trial champion Tony Martin faces questions (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 11 of 35

Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) will lead Giant-Shimano (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 12 of 35

Image 13 of 35

Fabian Cancellara is set to make his debut for Trek Factory Racing (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 14 of 35

Where Nibali goes the Italian press are quick to follow (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 15 of 35

Mark Cavendish is swamped by the media in Dubai (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Image 16 of 35

Peter Sagan (Cannondale) is looking for his first win of the 2014 season (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 17 of 35

Tony Martin is a favourite for the opening time trial on Wednesday (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 18 of 35

2013 Giro d'Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 19 of 35

Peter Sagan and Joaquim Rodriguez are two of the most high profile riders at the race

Peter Sagan and Joaquim Rodriguez are two of the most high profile riders at the race (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 20 of 35

Mark Cavendish will be looking for his first win in Dubai (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 21 of 35

Mark Cavendish has a quick dip in the sea at Dubai (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 22 of 35

Image 23 of 35

Vincenzo Nibali and Mark Cavendish (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 24 of 35

German rider Marcel Kittel and Tony Martin (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 25 of 35

Image 26 of 35

Peter Sagan is building up for the Classics (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 27 of 35

The contenders line up for the Dubai Tour (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 28 of 35

Peter Sagan (Cannondale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 29 of 35

Image 30 of 35

Mark Cavendish poses with the Dubai landscape in the background (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 31 of 35

Marcel Kittel (Giant Shimano) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 32 of 35

World time trial champion Tony Martin (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 33 of 35

Phinney, Cavendish and Martin catch up (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 34 of 35

Taylor Phinney (BMC) should challenge for the opening time trial (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Image 35 of 35

Joaquim Rodriguez and Vincenzo Nibali are rivals who respect one another (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The inaugural Tour of Dubai starts on Wednesday with a 10-kilometre time trial in Dubai. Eleven WorldTour teams take the start in the UCI 2.1 event with Grand Tour winners Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde and Ryder Hesjedal among them.

Dubai Tour: Cancellara insists he is not the favourite

Video: Cavendish reunited with Renshaw to take on Kittel in Dubai

The line-up for the race, organized by RCS Sport, is full of cycling’s superstars. They posed on the beach in front of the world famous Burj al Arab, the iconic hotel in the form of a sail of a dhow boat.

The world’s elite in sprinting with Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano), Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) take on each other in the flat stages in the Dubai deserts.

Former world champions like Mark Cavendish, Thor Hushovd and Fabian Cancellara plus the current road race world champion Rui Costa and time trial world champion Tony Martin also line up for this four day stage race.

Click here for our gallery.

To subscribe to the Cyclingnews video channel, click here.