2013 Tour De France Route Revealed

Details of the 100th edition of the Tour de France route have been revealed, with the race beginning, as expected, in Corsica on 29th June 2013. The event will conclude with the traditional evening stage through the Champs-Elysees in Paris on 21st July.

The race, which is set to favour climbers due to the inclusion of several mountainous stages, has been met with approval from cyclists. Mark Cavendish, who is fourth on the all-time list of stage wins on the Tour, said of the route: ‘A spectacular course for 2013 Tour de France…very hard route, book-ended with 2 beautiful sprint days in Corsica & twilight in Paris.’

The announcement comes following months of controversy within the sport, with the USADA’s report on Lance Armstrong’s alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.

UCI president Pat McQuaid announced on Monday that Armstrong will be stripped of his titles and banned from the sport, describing the doping saga as the: ‘biggest crisis cycling has ever faced.’