Chris Froome has already set his sights on defending his Tour de France crown and will know much more about the scene for the defence when next year's course is revealed on Wednesday in Paris. Rumours have suggested that cobbles may be included and the defending champion is not a fan of the idea, knowing that an untimely mechanical can ruin his race.

Chris Froome took a convincing win in this year's Tour de France and the Brit has made it clear that he will target the French grand tour in the years to come. His first big challenge will be to defend his maiden title next July and the Brit is now looking forward to Wednesday's course presentation where he will learn a lot more about the challenges that will face him.

As usual, several rumours have circulated. The most sensational is the one that suggests that the course will include sections of the Paris-Roubaix cobbles when the race will spend a few days in Northern France following the return to the European mainland from the start in Great Britain.

Cobbles were last included in 2010 when Franck Schleck crashed out of the race and Andy Schleck gained crucial time on Alberto Contador as a consequence. Froome is not a fan of the idea of including the rough surface - not because of the roads themselves but because of the risk of mechanicals.

“Cobbles have been mentioned and that does ring alarm bells for me," he told Procycling in an interview. "I know they will be ringing for others as well. The little climbers will hate the cobbles."

“The thing that worries me about cobbles isn’t necessarily the riding over the cobbles bit. I’ve done Paris-Roubaix before, I know what that’s like – it’s tough. I admit I probably wouldn’t be at the very front of a cobbled stage with guys like [Fabian] Cancellara and [Thor] Hushovd. I accept I wouldn’t be able to follow them, but there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to stay with Contador, Quintana, Rodríguez and Nibali on cobbles like that."

“What worries me about cobbles are the crashes, the mechanical problems," he explained. "A mechanical problem in the wrong moment of the race when things are kicking off could lead to you losing the Tour. I’m not a big fan of that. Someone shouldn’t lose the Tour due to a mechanical fault. It happens, but we’re not in the Eugène Christophe era any more. I think it’s extremely unfortunate if that happens. It’s the unknown factor that worries me about cobbles, not necessarily being dropped.

This year's course was very mountainous and its two time trials didn't play too much of a role. The first, flat one in Bretagne was rather short and the final one was held on a very hilly course in the Alps.

Rumours are that the 2014 race will only include one time trial - on the penultimate stage - but Froome hopes to see more kilometres against the clock.

“[I would design a route] with longer and flatter time trials," he said. "They would be more in my favour, the kinds of tests where pure climbers like Joaquim Rodríguez and Nairo Quintana would lose minutes. If there are more mountains in it, that’s not a bad thing for me, as I think I’ve proved myself on the climbs. But having more time trials does suit me, including team time trials as I think I’ve got one of the strongest teams for that discipline.”

"I think as a winner of the Tour de France you should be rounded as a rider," he explained. "You should be able to climb exceptionally and time trial very well. That’s what makes the Tour a well-balanced race, whereas if you look at something like the Vuelta where you’ve got 12 hilltop finishes, that is going to suit a pure climber who is not so strong on the flat and in the wind.”

Asked to name his main rivals, he pointed to the riders that challenged him this year and the reigning Giro winner.

"The rider who will come into the frame is Vincenzo Nibali," he said. "He’s talking about doing the Tour next year and he would naturally be a big rival. Otherwise, I think it will be the same guys as this year.”

“It’s amazing to see what Quintana’s done at such a young age and he’s only going to be get better and wiser as time goes on, but I’m not sure if he’ll do the Giro or the Tour next year. Rodríguez is someone who is always up there, Valverde will probably be back with a vengeance and, of course, there’s Contador. I think he feels like he’s got a lot to prove after this year. I will have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure.”

The Tour de France route will be unveiled on Wednesday in the Palais des Congres in Paris.