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