• Tour de France

The 100th Tour one for the climbers

If Bradley Wiggins is to defend his Tour de France title, he will have to ride into Paris under the cover of darkness.

The route for the 2013 race, the 100th edition, has been revealed and it will conclude with a floodlit stage in Paris.

The race will begin in Corsica and unlike this year's race, it will likely favour the mountain climbers. There will be serious summit finishes, with legendary ascents of Alpe d'Huez and Mont Ventoux.

Wiggins, his team-mate Chris Froome and a number of other figures from Team Sky were at the Paris Palais des Congres to witness the unveiling of the route.

Next year will be the first time the Tour has visited Corsica and the island will play host to three stages - with the race depart on June 29 being a full stage rather than a prologue which will hand Mark Cavendish the chance to claim the yellow jersey.

The race will hit the mainland for the first time on Stage Four, while the riders will see the mountains, the Pyrenees, for the first time on Stage Eight - with a summit finish at Ax 3 Domaines.

Mont Ventoux, the giant of Provence, will be climbed on Stage 15 as the race hits the Alps. Stage 17 is a second of two individual time trials, the first being into Mont Saint-Michel, and is one which will aid the climbers.

And to highlight the punishing nature of the race, the fabled Alpe d'Huez will be climbed twice on Stage 18. The road of the descent is set to be re-laid as it is not normally taken on the other side.

The climbs do not end on the Alpe as the Glandon and Madelaine are taken on Stage 19, while the race concludes on July 21 with a night finish into Paris.

Tour de France 2013 route
June 29 - Stage 1: Porto Vecchio - Bastia, 212km
June 30 - Stage 2: Bastia - Ajaccio, 154km
July 1 - Stage 3: Ajaccio - Calvi, 145km
July 2 - Stage 4: Nice - Nice, team time trial, 25km
July 3 - Stage 5: Cagnes sur Mer - Marseille, 219km
July 4 - Stage 6: Aix en Provence - Montpellier, 176km
July 5 - Stage 7: Montpellier - Albi, 205km
July 6 - Stage 8: Castres - Ax 3 Domaines, 194km
July 7 - Stage 9: St Girons - Bagneres de Bigorre, 165km
July 8 - Rest day
July 9 - Stage 10: St Gildas des Bois - St Malo, 193km
July 10 - Stage 11: Avranches - Mont Saint-Michel, individual time trial, 33km
July 11 - Stage 12: Fougeres - Tours, 218km
July 12 - Stage 13: Tours - St Amand Montrond, 173km
July 13 - Stage 14: St Pourain sur Sioule - Lyon, 191km
July 14 - Stage 15: Givors - Mont Ventoux, 242km
July 15 - Rest day
July 16 - Stage 16: Vaison la Romaine - Gap, 168km
July 17 - Stage 17: Embrun - Chorges, individual time trial, 32km
July 18 - Stage 18: Gap - Alpe d'Huez, 168km
July 19 - Stage 19: Bourg d'Oisans - Le Grand Bornand, 204km
July 20 - Stage 20: Annecy - Annecy Semnoz, 125km
July 21 - Stage 21: Versailles - Paris

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