Sprinters Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi will fight their first duels of the season when the Tour of Qatar clicks into gear Sunday in Doha.

Boonen, the 2005 world champion who rides for Quick Step, shook off the opposition to win four of last year's stages and the overall crown.

However, this year the Belgian's hopes will be tempered by 33-year-old Milram sprinter Petacchi, who will be burning to get a few wins under his belt following a 2006 season blighted by injury.

"I'm back and in top form. I hope this year will be as successful for me as 2005," said the Italian, who missed four months of last season because of a knee injury sustained at the Giro d’Italia in June.

Petacchi's bid for stage wins on the long, flat roads of Qatar — where the blustery winds could prove a factor for several hopefuls in the peloton — could be given a boost by Boonen's state of mind.

The Tour of Qatar champion has spent this week trying to digest allegations of organized doping aimed at team manager Patrick Lefévère by Belgian newspaperHet Laatste Nieuws.

"It's not easy to think about competition in such circumstances," admitted Boonen.

A few riders hope to benefit from the Belgian’s distraction, including Austrian sprinter Bernhard Eisel, who is making his debut for German powerhouse team T-Mobile, having beaten German Erik Zabel and Boonen to win last year's fourth stage.

Dutch sprinter Max Van Heeeswijk (Rabobank), Belgians Tom Steels (Predictor) and Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques), and Swiss sprinter Aurelien Clerc (Bouygues) will also be leading the charge for the finish line.

Eleven ProTour teams from the 17 in total will line up for the six-stage race, which begins Sunday and ends next Friday.

2007 Tour of Qatar
Sunday, Jan. 28 — Stage 1, Doha Corniche - team time trial (6km)
Monday, Jan. 29 — Stage 2, Al Wakra-Qatar Olympic Committee (135.5km)
Tuesday, Jan. 30 — Stage 3, Dohat Salwat-Khalifa Stadium (140km)
Wednesday, Jan. 31 — Stage 4: Camelodrome-Doha Golf Club (139.5km)
Thursday, Feb. 1 — Stage 5, Al Zubarah-Mesaied (160.5km)
Friday , Feb. 2 — Stage 6, Sealine Beach Reseort-Doha Corniche (134km)