Joaquim Rodriguez will start his second race of the season tomorrow when the Tour of Dubai kicks off with a 9.9km time trial in Dubai. The Spaniard will mostly use the race to prepare for his later objectives and his Katusha team will instead focus on supporting Alexander Porsev in the sprints.

Joaquim Rodriguez got his 2014 season off to a low-key start when he finished 71st in the Tour de San Luis in January. He is likely to be similarly anonymous tomorrow when he starts his second race of the season.

The inaugural Dubai Tour offers a short time trial, two flat stages and a slightly hilly queen stage. That is not the kind of terrain that offers Rodriguez many opportunities but nonetheless he will start the race in the Middle East, being one of the many stars that act as draw cards for the new event.

While Rodriguez will use the race purely for training, his Katusha team has a number of other options. With the GC likely to be decided by the opening time trial, the Russians may be hopeful that Vladimir Gusev, Sergei Chernetskii or maybe even Pavel Brutt will be up there in the overall standings.

However, the main focus is likely to be Alexander Porsev who will get his chance to shine in the expected bunch sprints. Climbers Alberto Losada and Angel Vicioso and classics specialist Luca Paolini complete the roster as they continue their preparation for later objectives.

You can read our preview of the race here. Starting at 10.45 CET, you can follow all four stages on CyclingQuotes.com/live.

Katusha for the Dubai Tour

Joaquim Rodriguez, Alberto Losada, Angel Vicioso, Luca Paolini, Alexander Porsev, Pavel Brutt, Sergei Chernetskii and Vladimir Gusev