The race was due to start and finish in the capital city of
Doha, the home base for the
Tour of Qatar. The route for the Worlds road races was presented in February 2015, which was made up of a loop of through the desert and a finishing circuit in Doha city centre, including of
cobblestones. The finishing circuit of on
The Pearl Island was used for a stage of February's
Tour of Qatar: riders noted that the course was highly technical, going through 24
roundabouts, with stage winner
Alexander Kristoff comparing it to a
criterium. However it was also noted that the lack of long straight sections meant that the effect of the
crosswinds frequently occurring in Qatar would be significantly lessened, reducing the race's unpredictability. Subsequently, in August 2016 it was reported that the UCI had made changes to the course, increasing the amount of riding through the desert to and reducing the number of laps of the finishing circuit from eleven down to seven. The start of the men's race was also moved to the
Aspire Zone, with the riders heading out northwards towards
Al Khor and returning to Doha. ==Qualification==