Tour de France organizers ASO have unveiled a mountainous and diverse course for the 2014 edition of the world's biggest bike race. With 5 summit finishes and stages in the Vosges, Alps and Pyrenees, the route is set to be decided in the mountains but will also include a 54km flat time trial on the penultimate day and a much anticipated stage on the cobbles known from the Paris-Roubaix.

Keeping in line with 2013 edition, Tour de France ASO have designed a mountainous course for the 2014 edition of the French grand tour. Unveiled today at a presentation ceremony in the Palais des Congres in Paris, the race will include 5 summit finishes in three mountain ranges as the Vosges and Alps will both feature prominently before the final showdown with three big stages in the Pyrenees in the final week.

Last year, the Alps played the role as the decider but as usual, the roles are interchanged for next year's edition with the Pyrenees playing the major role. Two of the Pyrenean stages will have a summit finish (on Pla d'Adet and on Hautacam) while both Alpine stages will finish on top of a mountain (in Risoul and Chamrousse). The Alpine stages will be preceded by three tough stages in the Vosges with a difficult uphill finish on La Planche des Belle Filles set to kick off the race for the climbers.

While the uphill specialists will relish the mountainous course, they will face challenges in less favourable terrain as well. As already rumoured, the race will include a stage on the Paris-Roubaix cobbles that will contain no less than 9 sectors of pave. That is 2 more than in 2010 when the rough surface last made an appearance and produced huge drama when Frank Schleck crashed out of the race while his brother Andy combined forces with Fabian Cancellara to gain time on Alberto Contador on a stage that was won by Thor Hushovd.

The climbers will be happy with the layout of the race but the time triallists will feel disappointed. There will only be one single race against the clock, on the penultimate day. At 54km, it is, however, a long one and as it is mostly flat, the pure climbers are at risk of losing massive amounts of time to the likes on Chris Froome on this day.

The sprinters will be delighted to see that the opening week contains numerous opportunities for the fast finishers with the major appearance until the race hits the Vosges on stage 8. Like last year, the race will kick off with a flat stage and so the sprinters have a chance to wear the yellow jersey for the second year in a row.

A start in Yorkshire

As was already known, the race kicks off with three days on British soil. The Grand Depart will be in Leeds and the riders will travel 191km to Harrogate on the first day. Mark Cavendish's mother lives in the finishing city where the sprinter has spent plenty of time and he will be extremely motivated to take the yellow jersey in his own backyard.

The second day will be significantly more difficult as the 192km stage from York to Sheffield contains 6 small, uncategorized hills in the finale. The puncheurs will do their utmost to deny the sprinters a shot at glory and possibly take the yellow jersey. The time in Great Britain ends with a short 159km stage that starts in Cambridge and is expected to finish with a big bunch sprint in central London.

The riders will be back in France for the 4th stage from La  Touquet Paris-Plage to Lille which is expected to be one for the sprinters. Already on the next day, the first major chance to gain time occurs as the riders will travel 156km from Ypres in Belgium - which is chosen as a start city to commemorate World War 1 in the 100th anniversary of its start - to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut. This is the much feared cobbles stage that will finish in front of the Arenberg forest as it did in 2010. The riders will face no less than 9 pave sectors - among those the feared 5-star Mons-en-Pevele section - which add up to 15,4km off cobbled roads.

The Vosges will produce the first separation

The sprinters will be back in actions on the 6th and 7th stages which finishes in Reims while the long 7th stage to Nancy could be one for puncheurs as there will be a short climb close to the finish. The riders enter the Vosges on stage 8 which is mostly flat but finishes with 3 tough climbs in quick succession. The Col de la Croix des Moinats (7,6km, 6%) is followed by the Col de la Grosse Pierre (3km, 7,5%) before a short, sharp uphill finish on Gerardmer La Mauselaine (1,8km, 10,3%). The 9th stage will be another difficult one as it contains no less than 6 climbs, the final one being located 40km from the finish in Mulhouse.

The first real summit finish comes on stage 10 which is a brutal one through the Vosges.6 difficult climbs - 3 of them with an average gradient of more than 8% - precede the finish on La Planche des Belles Filles (5,9km, 8,5%). The final climb includes some very steep sections near the end and made its debut two years ago when Chris Froome won his first Tour stage and will produce the first big selection among the GC riders.

Two tough stages in the Alps

After a rest day in Besancon, racing will resume with stages to Oyonnax and Saint-Etienne that will include narrow, winding roads and could be some for breakaways or the sprinters. On stage 13, the riders will enter the Alps for the first of two tough mountain stages. The first one is 200km long and is mostly flat but has two difficult climbs in the end. The Col de la Palaquit (14,1km, 6,1%) is followed by the climb to Chamrousse (18,2km, 7,3%) where Lance Armstrong won a mountain time trial in 2001.

The next stage will be the toughest in the Alps as it includes the Col de Lautaret (34km, 3,9%) and the Col d'Izoard (19km, 6%) whose summit at 2360m is the highest point of this year's Tour before an uphill finish in Risoul (12,6km, 6,9%). The final climb may not be overly difficult but is well-known from the Dauphiné where Nicolas Vogondy and Alessandro De Marchi have both conquered the ascent. Nairo Quintana laid the foundations for his 2010 Tour de l'Avenir win when he won a stage to the ski resort.

A major showdown in the Pyrenees

The riders will leave the Alps the next day on a long, mostly flat stage to Nimes before enjoying a rest day in Carcassonne. They will need to prepare as much as they can for the tough final week that kicks off with the first of the three Pyrenean stages. The 237km 16th stage to Bagneres-de-Luchon is the longest of the race and is mostly flat in the beginning. In the final part, the riders will, however, face the Col de Portet-d'Aspet (5,4km, 6,9%) and the Port de Bales  (11,7km, 7,7%) before the traditional downhill finish. This is where Andy Schleck dropped his chain in 2010 and the climb is set to once again produce a major drama.

The 17th day will offer a short, intense 125km stage in the Pyrenees. The first part is flat but the final 100km are brutal. 40 of those will be uphill at more than 7% and include the Col du Portillon (8,3km, 7,1%), Col de Peyresourde (13,2km, 7%), Col de Val Louron-Azet (7,4km, 8,3%) and an uphill finish on Pla d'Adet (10,2km, 8,3%). The final climb was last included in 2005 when George Hincapie took a big win in the mountains and was the scene for a legendary battle between Eddy Merckx and Raymond Poulidor.

The final mountain stage will head out from Pau and pass the Col du Tourmalet (17,1km, 7,3%) that precedes a return to the Hautacam (13,6km, 7,8%). The feared ascent was last included in 2008 when Leonardo Piepoli won ahead of teammate Juan Jose Cobo before being disqualified due to his use of Cera. It will offer the final chance for the climbers to take time on the time trialists.

The decisive time trial

The 19th stage will give the sprinters a chance to shine on a 208km run to Bergerac but the GC riders will be back in action on the penultimate day. The 54km time trial from Bergerac to Perigeux will honour Miguel Indurain who laid the foundations for his 1994 win with a dominant performance on a slightly longer time trial in this area. Being mostly flat, the stage is one for the specialists and will determine the winner of the 2014 Tour de France.

As usual, the final stage finishes in Paris where the riders will finish with a number of laps on the traditional finishing circuit in the French capital. Like last year, the riders will go all the way around the Arc de Triomphe before it all comes to a spectacular conclusion with a likely bunch sprint on the Champs-Elysees.

CyclingQuotes had a reporter at the presentation in Paris and will bring reactions from some of the main riders throughout the day.

July 5: Leeds - Harrogate, 191km

July 6: York - Sheffield, 192km

July 7: Cambridge - London, 159km

July 8: La Touquet Paris-Plage - Lille, 164km

July 9: Ypres - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 156km

July 10: Arras - Reims, 194km

July 11: Epernay - Nancy, 233km

July 12: Tomblaine - Gerardmer La Mauselaine, 161km

July 13: Gerardmer - Mulhouse, 166km

July 14: Mulhouse - La Planche des Belles Filles, 161km

July 15: Rest day Besancon

July 16: Besancon - Oyonnax 186km

July 17: Bourg-en-Bresse - Saint-Etienne, 183km

July 18: Saint-Etienne - Chamrousse, 200km

July 19: Grenoble - Risoul, 177km

July 20: Tallard - Nimes, 222km

July 21: Rest day Carcassonne

July 22: Carcassonne - Bagneres-de-Luchon, 237km

July 23: Saint-Gaudens - Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet, 125km

July 24: Pau-Hautacam, 145km

July 25: Mauborguet Val d'Adour-Bergerac, 208km

July 26: Bergerac-Periguex, 54km

July 27: Evry-Paris, 136km