2013 Tour de France Race Preview
The details of this year's 2013 Tour de France are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2013 Tour de France gets underway in Porto-Vecchio on the island of Corsica, marking the first time in the race's 110-year history that the Grand Départ has been held there. The three opening stages on the island promise a spectacular backdrop before the race transfers to the mainland, where the real battle for yellow will begin to take shape.
Defending champion Bradley Wiggins is absent from the startlist, ruled out through injury, leaving his Sky teammate Chris Froome as the overwhelming favorite. The Kenyan-born Briton was the strongest rider in last year's race, often riding within himself while shepherding Wiggins to victory, and he arrives in Corsica having already demonstrated his climbing prowess with a dominant victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier in the season. He will be surrounded by a formidable Sky squad built around protecting him in the mountains, and many observers feel the race is his to lose.
The main challengers will come from a talented and motivated group of climbers. Alberto Contador returns after sitting out last year's race following his doping ban and is hungry to add to his palmares. The Spaniard is one of the most naturally gifted stage race riders of his generation and should not be underestimated despite his long absence from the Tour. Nairo Quintana of Movistar is widely regarded as one of the most exciting climbing talents in the peloton and the young Colombian will be looking to announce himself on cycling's biggest stage. Cadel Evans, the 2011 champion, will hope to challenge once more, while Tejay van Garderen, Jurgen Van den Broeck, and Ryder Hesjedal all have the credentials to trouble the favorites on the big mountain days.
The route is a demanding one. After the opening stages in Corsica, the race pushes through Provence before heading into the Pyrenees, where several brutal stages will test the overall contenders early in the second week. The Alps await in the final week, with the legendary Mont Ventoux featuring as a summit finish that could prove decisive. The individual time trials on the route will also be critical, and Froome's strength against the clock gives him an additional advantage over pure climbers like Quintana.
The sprinters will have their opportunities in the early flat stages, and Marcel Kittel arrives with genuine ambitions of taking stage wins, as do Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel. Peter Sagan, the reigning world champion and one of the most versatile riders in the race, will be aiming to defend his green jersey and add to his impressive tally of Tour stage victories.
All eyes, however, will be on the mountains, where Froome is expected to put the race to bed. Whether Contador's hunger and Quintana's raw ability can disrupt Sky's plans remains the central question of what promises to be a captivating three weeks of racing.
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