 On 24 November 2011 , the ASO announced Corsica would host the 2013 edition 's Grand Départ ( the Tour 's opening stages ) , the first time the Tour has visited the island . The route of the race was unveiled on 24 October 2012 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris . The Tour was the first to be completed entirely on French soil since 2003 and included ten new start or finish locations . The Grand Départ in Corsica consisted of three stages . The ASO chartered the Mega Smeralda cruiseferry in Porto @-@ Vecchio to house members of the organisation , media and others who work on the Tour and to host press conferences , although the riders stayed in hotels in and around the town . 
