Paris, France. 18th June 2013.

1. 00:00 Wide shot of Amaury Sport Organisation A.S.O. (the Organising Company of the Tour de France)

2. 00:06 Close up of Amaury Sport Organisation A.S.O.

3. 00:10 Mid shot of the entrance of A.S.O.

4. 00:15 Mid shot of Christian Prudhomme walking away from his office

5. 00:24 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding who is favourite to win this Tour)

"(Alberto) Contador will of course be a very important element of the picture, of the scenario of the Tour, but it will be Sky against the rest of the world with of course Chris Froome as the undisputed leader of this team."

6. 00:40 Close up (zoom out) of old photo of cyclists

7. 00:45 Wide shot of Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France, next to the poster of the 100th edition of the Tour de France, the tour of 2013.

8. 00:50 Mid of photo with cyclists high on a mountain

9. 00:56 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding the possibilities of a comeback from Bradley Wiggins)

"I think he will be very strong on the Tour that will start in Yorkshire in 2014. In Yorkshire, there will be a magnificent stage and the next one will finish in London. I think he'll have his motivation back and be back."

10. 01:09 Pan shot of poster of Tour de France edition 2013.

11. 01:18 Close up of the stages in the Alps.

12. 01:25 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding doping in cycling)

"One of the fundamental questions is the capacity of finding the substances. If the medical corps would be capable to find all the substances, there would be no doubt at all. And the last years, the gap has been considerably tightened between those who cheat and those who track down the cheaters."

13. 01:48 Close up of the departure of the Tour de France in Corsica

14. 01:51 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding the importance of starting the Tour in Corsica)

"Two stages (in Corsica) are typically stages for punchers. Here, the favourites of the general classification will have to pay a lot of attention, because these are typically trapped stages. Those who haven't scouted the Corsican stages will have made a big mistake. On the eve of the first stage, they might say: "It's all flat, Corsica, it's all flat. There are no bends!" Two days later they will have understood why the automobile Tour of Corsica is called 'The Rally of ten thousand bends'."

15. 02:15 Mid shot of poster of the southern part of the Tour de France (Alps and Pyrenees)

16. 02:20 Pan of poster from Bretagne to the Alps

17. 02:28 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

"Cycling is friendly. Once again, it's (a sport) for families, for people who are happy to be there, for people smiling."

18. 02:35 Pan shot from the Alps to Paris, Champs Elysees.

19. 02:41 Mid shot of photo with cyclists on the Champs Elysees.

20. 02:45 Close up from the map with Paris, Champs Elysees.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme spoke on Tuesday (18th June) and tipped Chris Froome to emerge victorious in this years race.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

The director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, expects that the 2013 event, the 100th edition of the Tour de France, will be a scenario of Team Sky against the rest of the world, with Christopher Froome as the undisputed leader of his team.

He expects Bradley Wiggins to come roaring back in 2014 after not defending his crown in this year's race, which starts in just over a week. "I think he'll have his motivation back and be back," Christian Prudhomme said in an interview on Tuesday in his Paris office.

Elite athletes, he noted, "can fall very low but rebound very quickly."

The first two stages in 2014 run through Yorkshire in northeast England, with the third going from Cambridge to London, so Wiggins will be on home ground. "I think he'll be very strong," Prudhomme said.

About the doping affairs in the Tour, Prudhomme said: "One of the fundamental questions is the capacity of finding the substances. If the medical corps would be capable to find all the substances, there would be no doubt at all. And the last years, the gap has been considerably tightened between those who cheat and those who track down the cheaters."

Prudhomme warned that the first stages on the French island of Corsica could be treacherous.

After a flat opening stage on June 29 that British sprinter Mark Cavendish, among others, will have his eye on, the race ventures over more jagged terrain inland and up the island's west coast.

From Corsica, the Tour crosses to the French mainland.

"Those who haven't scouted the Corsican stages will have made a big mistake. On the evening of the first stage, they'll be telling themselves, "It's all flat!" Prudhomme said. "Two days later they will have understood why the automobile Tour of Corsica is called `The Rally of ten thousand Bends.' Not only does it go up and down, it turns all the time."

Christian Prudhomme, himself a passionate supporter of cycling, remains optimistic for the popularity of the sport: "Cycling is a sport for families, for people who are happy to be there, for people smiling."