 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.
