2013 Tour de France team and the oldest. The teams entering the race were: UCI ProTeams UCI Professional Continental teams In the run up to the 2013 Tour de France, Chris Froome () was widely considered as the top pre-race favourite for the general classification, with his closest rivals thought to be Alberto Contador () and Joaquim Rodríguez (). 's Vincenzo Nibali was also a possible contender after getting his first Tour podium in 2012 but he had focused on the 2013 Giro d'Italia. The other riders considered contenders for the general classification were riders Cadel Evans and Tejay van Garderen, Richie Porte (),
2013 Tour de France Jurgen Van den Broeck (), Thibaut Pinot (), Ryder Hesjedal (), Robert Gesink (), and riders Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana. The 2012 Tour de France winner, Bradley Wiggins of , had focused on the Giro d'Italia, but retired early due to illness, subsequently pulling out because illness and injury had left him insufficient time to train for the Tour de France and chose not to ride. This left Froome, runner-up in 2012, the undisputed leader of . He had shown his form so far in 2013 season by winning four of the five stage races he had rode: Tour