Tour De France 2013 Will End With Night Sprint Through Paris

Tour De France 2013 Will End With Night Sprint Through Paris

Bradley Wiggins' quest to retain his Tour de France title will include a night sprint through Paris on its final day and a daunting double ascent of l'Alpe d'Huez.

The 100th Tour will begin on 29 June in Corsica and the 2,088-mile race will end in the evening, rather than the afternoon, against a floodlit Arc de Triomphe in the French capital on 21 July.

Wiggins, 32, beat Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome to the title in July to become the first ever British winner of the Tour before he took gold at the London 2012 Olympics less than a fortnight later.

But the revised 2013 route could benefit cyclists Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck because of the mountainous obstacles, as France showcases some of its most beautiful areas. The renowned l'Alpe d'Huez was first included in the race in 1952.

Director Christian Prudhomme said: "This is the first 100 per cent French Tour in 10 years, and what we want is for everyone who sees the race to say: 'I know that part of France and I understand why the Tour has gone there,' or 'I don't know that place, but I can see why the Tour is visiting,'."

Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour

Lucien Petit-Breton, Philippe Thys, Ottavio Bottecchia, Nicolas Frantz, Louison Bobet, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Laurent Fignon, Greg LeMond and Miguel Indurain are the riders to have retained their title in the Tour's history.

Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven successive wins between 1999 and 2005 after he was evidence exposed him as a drug cheat.

2013 TOUR DE FRANCE BREAKDOWN

June 29, stage one: Porto Vecchio - Bastia, 212km

June 30, stage two: Basta - Ajaccio, 154km

July 1, stage 3: Ajaccio - Calvi, 145km

July 2, stage four: Nice - Nice, team time-trial, 25km

July 3, stage five: Cagnes sur Mer - Marseille, 219km

July 4, stage six: Aix en Provence - Montpellier, 176km

July 5, stage seven: Montpellier - Albi, 205km

July 6, stage eight: Castres - Ax 3 Domaines, 194km

July 7, stage nine: St Girons-Bagneres de Bigorre, 165km

July 8, rest day in St Nazaire

July 9, stage 10: St Gildas des Bois - St Malo, 193km

July 10, stage 11: Avranches - Mont St 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 in the Vaucluse department

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, 168 km

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 Champs-Élysées

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