2014 may be the year when Bretagne-Seche Environnement finally gets an invitation for the Tour de France. Having watched the unveiling of the course in Palais des Congres yesterday, manager Emanuel Hubert sees the chances for a wildcard invitation as bigger than ever.

The battle for the wildcard invitations to the Tour de France is usually a fierce one. In recent years, French pro continental team Bretagne-Seche Environnement has put its hand up for a chance to ride the biggest race in the world but despite the tendency to favour French teams, the Breton team has yet to race its first edition of the French grand tour.

With Vacansoleil, Euskaltel and Sojasun all folding, three of this year's participants won't be back next year and the wildcards appear to be more accessible than ever before. Europcar is likely to be awarded ProTeam status and while Cofidis and IAM appear to be almost guaranteed a wildcard invitation, it leaves two invitations up for grabs.

They are likely to be handed to either Bretagne, Colombia, NetApp-Endura or MTN-Qhubeka who have all expressed interest in riding the Tour next year. Bretagne manager Emanuel Hubert knows that his chances have never been greater than they are this year.

"I'm almost tempted to say that it is this year or never. I hope that it's finally the beginning of a great adventure. The misfortune of some is the happiness of others," he told Ouest-France. "We will work for it."

Hubert was present at the presentation of the course in the Palais des Congres yesterday and he was full of praise.

"It's a nice course with real opportunities and with small traps like the arrival in Gerardmer in the Vosges," he said. "Fifteen kilometers of pavé will play a role. The cobblestones are part of the French landscape and cycling."

The team has signed Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil), Anthony Delaplace and Christophe Laborie (both Sojasun) as reinforcements for the coming season while Brice Feillu is also reported to be negotiating with the Breton squad.