Even though the 2014 Tour de France will only include one individual time trial, world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) will make his way to France next July to shine on the biggest stage of all in cycling as he does battle against the clock while wearing his rainbow jersey.

“I’m looking forward to the 54km TT even though I had hoped that there would be two time trials or at least a team time trial included on the Tour parcours,” Martin wrote on his website only hours after the official presentation of next year’s Tour route in Paris earlier today. “I’m going to focus exclusively on the penultimate stage in an attempt to secure a stage win,” Martin said.

The fact that the only individual time trial, between Bergerac and Périgueux, is placed on the penultimate stage means that Martin will have to suffer three weeks of Tour trials in order to have a shot at glory. Prior to the ITT, Martin will have to endure the undulations of five mountain top finishes, three additional mountainous stages and a stage including nine cobblestones sections on stage 5.

“I respect the cobblestones,” Martin acknowledged. During the previous two Tour de France races Martin has suffered severe crashes in the opening week of the French Grand Tour and he also crashed to the ground the last time the Tour visited the cobblestones in the Northern parts of France, in 2010. “At the time I had no racing experience on the cobblestones,” said the 28-year-old. “I’d only done a training pass on the cobblestones and immediately crashed the first time I raced on them in a competitive race,” he explained.

Martin, who is currently on vacation and followed today’s presentation on television, will undergo surgery to his hand next week. It was damaged during the Tour de France … in 2012! Following the surgery, Martin will commence his preparations for the 2014 season.