Selected reaction to 2014 Tour de France route

PARIS (AP) A selection of comments about the route of the 2014 Tour de France that was unveiled Wednesday in Paris:

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"A Tour always needs to be well balanced to be able to test every aspect of the rider, and I think with the cobbles in there next year that adds another element of that. Five summit finishes, so whoever wins next year's Tour is going to have to be able to climb with the best" defending champion Chris Froome.

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"The first nine days, with tension especially on the fifth (stage), are going to be crazy. A short stage (5) with nine sections of paving stones. Falls might affect you or people who are in front of you and you can lose the Tour" 2007 and 2009 winner Alberto Contador.

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"That first week, there's a lot of hazards in it" Dave Brailsford, Froome's boss at Team Sky.

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"I'd like to see (2012 champion) Bradley Wiggins there and I'd like to think the cobble stages will attract him as well. But I'm not sure what Chris Froome will think about that, but I'm sure it will keep the media happy for the next few months in speculation" Brian Cookson, newly elected president of cycling's governing body, the UCI.

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"We will pick the best possible team" Brailsford dodging a question about whether he'll select both Froome and Wiggins for the 2014 Tour.

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"It's my eighth Tour de France and I think in eight years it's gone to the UK twice. We're not just having one or two stages, we're having three stages, three big stages. ... It's brilliant and I know for sure there's going to be big support" British sprinter Mark Cavendish on Tour's start in England.