Tour of Qatar organisers have blocked multiple winners Etixx-Quick-Step from competing in this year’s race starting on Monday, citing “disciplinary problems” with the Belgian team.

Sheikh Khalid accused the team of “lacking respect”.

“I’ve decided not to send them an invitation despite their wish to participate,” said Qatar Cycling Federation president Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Thani.

“On several occasions the team has displayed disciplinary problems,” he explained.

“For example they take too long to change and give interviews even though they are expected on live television, and they take too long to reach the podium.

“They’d take too much time changing their shoes, laying around, and then meeting the press while keeping us waiting. They can’t do that. That’s been going on for a couple of years, that’s not the first time. We send people to hurry them up and they talked to them in not a very nice way.

“Then there were some problems with the hotels.”