The Tour of Qatar could be considered as a windy challenge, with storms usually blowing on the flat roads of the desert. For the 2016 edition of the Arab race, which will take place from the 8th to the 12th of February, Lampre-Merida will also be a part of the peloton.

The team have selected 8 riders: Davide Cimolai, Federico Zurlo, Luka Pibernik, Mario Costa, Marko Kump, Matej Mohoric, Yukiya Arashiro and Sacha Modolo, who'll fly to Oman directly from Dubai after the end of the Dubai Tour.

The courses of the five stages are completely flat so they'll be suitable for the sprinters and the 3rd stage, an 11km time trial, will be crucial for the overall classification.

Lampre-Merida will rely on a fast group whose members are Cimolai, Kump, Pibernik, Zurlo and Modolo, in addition to the talented Mohoric, the always reliable Mario Costa and the Japanese Arashiro, who'll debut in the blue-fuchsia-green colors.