Start sheet, the stages & contenders plus a preview of the 2013 Tour de France (June 29 – July 21)
Stages (Key GC stages in Red – must watch!)
In brief: 7 flat stages, 5 lumpy stages, 6 mountain stages with 4 summit finishes, 2 individual TT’s & 1 team time trial. Distance: 3,403km
Stage 1: Porto-Vecchio – Bastia, 212km (one for the sprinters & first yellow jersey)
Stage 2: Bastia – Ajaccio, 154km
Stage 3: Ajaccio – Calvi, 145km
Stage 4: Nice – Nice, 25km Team Time Trial
Stage 5: Cagnes-sur-Mer – Marseille, 219km
Stage 6: Aix-en-Provence – Montpellier, 176km
Stage 7: Montpellier – Albi, 205km
Stage 8: Castres – Ax 3 Domaines, 194km (mountain top finish)
Stage 9: Saint Girons – Bagnéres de Bigorre, 165km
Rest Day
Stage 10: Saint-Gildas-des-Bois – Saint-Malo, 193km
Stage 11: Avranches – Mont-Saint-Michel, 33km (Individual Time Trial)
Stage 12: Fougères – Tours, 218km
Stage 13: Tours – Saint-Amand-Monrond, 173km
Stage 14: Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule – Lyon, 191km
Stage 15: Givors – Mont-Ventoux, 242km (mountain top finish)
Rest Day
Stage 16: Vaison-la-Romaine – Gap, 168km
Stage 17: Embrun – Chorges, 32km (Individual Time Trial)
Stage 18: Gap – Alpe d\’Huez, 168km (Mountain top finish)
Stage 19: Le Bourg d\’Oisans – Le Grand Bornand, 204km
Stage 20: Annecy – Le Semnoz, 125km (mountain top finish)
Stage 21: Château de Versailles – Paris Champs Elysées, 118km
GC Contenders
Chris Froome: Hot favourite after a season that rivals 2013 Tour champion Bradley Wiggins last year
Alberto Contador: Winner of all the Grand Tours, he has the experience, a strong team including Michael Rogers
Joaquim Rodriguez: In a year where the climbing is key, the Spanish rider may well light up the race, lets hope so!
Cadel Evans: A former winner who’s played a cagey game this year trying to stay out of the lime light. Perhaps not the climber he will need to be.
Others
Andy Schleck: We’ve seen him battle with Contador in the mountains before but has he got that form. He says no. We’ll see.
Nairo Quintana: Many people’s favourite in front of his team capatain Valverde). Could be the surprise packet.
Alejandro Valverde: A contender for the podium – perhaps but a B lister in the above company
Robert Gesink: Around a while and yet to deliver. Could he surprise on the biggest stage in cycling.
Richie Porte: working for Froome yes but will that help book a place on the podium as did Froome with Wiggins?
Teejay Van Garderen: Overshadowed Evans last year – will he do the same in 2013?
Jurgen Van den Broeck: There or there abouts is the cliche and its a perfect fit for this Belgian climber.
Ryder Hesjedal: Won the Giro in 2012 but hasn’t shone in 2013.
And more to perhaps make aname for themselves, Daniel Martin, Thibaut Pinot, Bauke Mollema, Pierre Rolland, Andrew Talansky, Rui Costa, Jakob Fuglsang & Kevin Seeldraeyers
Sprinters (key names)
Mark Cavendish: Former green jersey winner and 23 stage wins already. Hot favourite for stages
Peter Sagan: Loved for his winning celebrations, Sagan can climb a bit too. 3 stages win 2012
André Greipel: Pure sprint machine with a very well oiled train to help him.
Marcel Kittel: In great form and has beaten the above recently. Form at the right time.
John Degenkolb: Great in his own right but supporting Kittel its said.
Matt Goss: Fast but not as fast as Cav and will need his sprint train to out muscle Quickstep to stand a chance
Outsiders
Nacer Bouhanni: Not well liked if reports this year are anything to go by but very quick
Edvald Boasson Hagen: Fast on his day but not in Cav territory?
Alexander Kristoff: Like Sagan, more of an allrounder sprint wise
Others Include: Boy Van Poppel & Daniele Bennati
The British Riders
David Millar: Team captain at Garmin, possible stage winner
Mark Cavendish: Sprinter & probably stage winner. Along with Wiggins, the greatest Tour rider Britain has produced.
Ian Stannard: Work horse for Team Sky
Chris Froome: Kenyan born rider Favourite for the overall
Geraint Thomas: Team helper for Froome
Peter Kennaugh: Team helper for Froome
Also: Birmingham born Dan Martin, former British Junior champion, has a lot of fans here. Possible stage winner
British Yellow Jersey Wearers
Tom Simpson: 1962 (the first British rider to do so)
Tom Simpson, pic courtesy of PhotoSport International. uk usa asia.
Chris Boardman: Six days in yellow, 1994; 1997 & 1998
Sean Yates: 1994
David Millar: 2000 (3 days)
Bradley Wiggins: 2012 (14 days) Overall winner
RIDERS
Team Sky
1.FROOME Christopher
2.BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
3.KENNAUGH Peter
4.KIRYIENKA Vasil
5.LOPEZ David
6.PORTE Richie
7.SIUTSOU Kanstantsin
8.STANNARD Ian
9.THOMAS Geraint
Cannondale Pro Cycling
11.SAGAN Peter
12.BODNAR Maciej
13.DE MARCHI Alessandro
14.KING Edward
15.KOREN Kristjan
16.MARANGONI Alan
17.MOSER Moreno
18.SABATINI Fabio
19.VANDBORG Brian
Lotto Belisol Team
21.VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen
22.BAK Lars Ytting
23.DE CLERCQ Bart
24.GREIPEL Andre
25.HANSEN Adam
26.HENDERSON Gregory
27.ROELANDTS Jurgen
28.SIEBERG Marcel
29.WILLEMS Frederik
BMC Racing Team
31.EVANS Cadel
32.BOOKWALTER Brent
33.BURGHARDT Marcus
34.GILBERT Philippe
35.MOINARD Amaël
36.MORABITO Steve
37.QUINZIATO Manuel
38.SCHAR Michael
39.VAN GARDEREN Tejay
RadioShack – Leopard
41.SCHLECK Andy
42.BAKELANTS Jan
43.DIDIER Laurent
44.GALLOPIN Tony
45.IRIZAR Markel
46.KLöDEN Andréas
47.MONFORT Maxime
48.VOIGT Jens
49.ZUBELDIA Haimar
Team Europcar
51.ROLLAND Pierre
52.ARASHIRO Yukiya
53.COUSIN Jérôme
54.GAUTIER Cyril
55.GENE Yohann
56.MALACARNE Davide
57.REZA Kevin
58.VEILLEUX David
59.VOECKLER Thomas
Astana Pro Team
61.BRAJKOVIč Janez
62.BAZAYEV Assan
63.FUGLSANG Jakob
64.GASPAROTTO Enrico
65.GAVAZZI Francesco
66.KASHECHKIN Andrey
67.KESSIAKOFF Fredrik
68.LUTSENKO Aleksey
69.MURAVYEV Dmitriy
Team FDJ
71.PINOT Thibaut
72.BONNET William
73.BOUHANNI Nacer
74.FEDRIGO Pierrick
75.FISCHER Murilo Antonio
76.GENIEZ Alexandre
77.JEANNESSON Arnold
78.ROY Jérémy
79.VICHOT Arthur
AG2R La Mondiale
81.PERAUD Jean-Christophe
82.BARDET Romain
83.BOUET Maxime
84.DUMOULIN Samuel
85.DUPONT Hubert
86.GADRET John
87.KADRI Blel
88.MINARD Sébastien
89.RIBLON Christophe
Team Saxo-Tinkoff
91.CONTADOR Alberto
92.BENNATI Daniele
93.HERNáNDEZ Jesús
94.KREUZIGER Roman
95.NOVAL Benjamin
96.MOREIRA PAULINHO Sergio Miguel
97.ROCHE Nicolas
98.ROGERS Michael
99.TOSATTO Matteo
Katusha Team
101.RODRIGUEZ Joaquim
102.BRUTT Pavel
103.KRISTOFF Alexander
104.KUSCHYNSKI Aleksandr
105.LOSADA Alberto
106.MORENO Daniel
107.SMUKULIS Gatis
108.TROFIMOV Yuri
109.VORGANOV Eduard
Euskaltel – Euskadi
111.ANTON Igor
112.ASTARLOZA Mikel
113.IZAGIRRE Gorka
114.IZAGIRRE Ion
115.LOBATO Juan Jose
116.NIEVE Mikel
117.OROZ Juan José
118.PEREZ Ruben
119.SICARD Romain
Movistar Team
121.VALVERDE Alejandro
122.AMADOR Andrey
123.CASTROVIEJO Jonathan
124.COSTA Rui
125.ERVITI Imanol
126.GUTIERREZ Jose Iván
127.PLAZA Ruben
128.QUINTANA Nairo Alexander
129.ROJAS Jose Joaquin
Cofidis
131.TAARAMäE Rein
132.BAGOT Yoann
133.COPPEL Jérome
134.GARCíA Egoitz
135.LE MEVEL Christophe
136.LEVARLET Guillaume
137.MATE Luis Angel
138.MOLARD Rudy
139.NAVARRO Daniel
Lampre – Merida
141.CUNEGO Damiano
142.BONO Matteo
143.CIMOLAI Davide
144.FAVILLI Elia
145.FERRARI Roberto
146.MALORI Adriano
147.MORI Manuele
148.NIEMIEC Przemyslaw
149.SERPA Jose Rodolfo
Omega Pharma – Quick-Step
151.CAVENDISH Mark
152.CHAVANEL Sylvain
153.KWIATKOWSKI Michal
154.MARTIN Tony
155.PINEAU Jérome
156.STEEGMANS Gert
157.TERPSTRA Niki
158.TRENTIN Matteo
159.VELITS Peter
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
161.BOOM Lars
162.GESINK Robert
163.LEEZER Tom
164.MOLLEMA Bauke
165.NORDHAUG Lars Petter
166.TANKINK Bram
167.TEN DAM Laurens
168.VANMARCKE Sep
169.WYNANTS Maarten
Garmin – Sharp
171.HESJEDAL Ryder
172.BAUER Jack
173.DANIELSON Thomas
174.DENNIS Rohan
175.MARTIN Daniel
176.MILLAR David
177.NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas
178.TALANSKY Andrew
179.VANDE VELDE Christian
Orica GreenEDGE
181.GERRANS Simon
182.ALBASINI Michael
183.CLARKE Simon
184.GOSS Matthew
185.IMPEY Daryl
186.LANCASTER Brett
187.MEYER Cameron
188.O’GRADY Stuart
189.TUFT Svein
Team Argos – Shimano
191.DEGENKOLB John
192.CURVERS Roy
193.DE KORT Koen
194.DUMOULIN Tom
195.FROHLINGER Johannes
196.GESCHKE Simon
197.KITTEL Marcel
198.TIMMER Albert
199.VEELERS Tom
Vacansoleil – DCM
201.POELS Wout
202.BOECKMANS Kris
203.DE GENDT Thomas
204.FLECHA Juan Antonio
205.HOOGERLAND Johnny
206.LAGUTIN Sergey
207.VAN POPPEL Boy
208.VAN POPPEL Danny
209.WESTRA Lieuwe
Sojasun
211.FEILLU Brice
212.DELAPLACE Anthony
213.EL FARES Julien
214.HIVERT Jonathan
215.LEMOINE Cyril
216.MARINO Jean Marc
217.MEDEREL Maxime
218.SIMON Julien
219.VUILLERMOZ Alexis