Having seen the course one week ago, Ag2r-La Mondiale has already started to plan the 2014 Tour de France. The French team plans to line up three GC riders with Carlos Betancur making his maiden participation in the world's biggest race and Romain Bardet and Jean-Christophe Peraud returning to the event.

The course may have barely been presented but the Ag2r-La Mondiale has already started to prepare for the 2014 Tour de France. Following a successful season, the team plans to line up three GC riders in the world's biggest race.

The team had a great grand tour season in 2013 with Carlos Betancur finishing 5th overall and winning the white jersey and Domenico Pozzovivio taking 10th in the Giro and Pozzovivo finishing 6th in the Vuelta. All was set for another top 10 finish in the Tour when Jean-Christophe Peraud crashed out of the race in the final time trial at a time when he was firmly placed inside the best 10 riders on GC. Young Romain Bardet took over the role of GC captain and finished 15th as best Frenchman in his maiden participation while Christophe Riblon won the Alpe d'Huez queen stage and was awarded the combativity prize.

To improve on that performance, the team has already designated three captains for next year's race. Already last week, manager Vincent Lavenu confirmed that Betancur will target the Tour in 2014 and the Colombian will be joined by the two GC riders from last year's edition.

"We will adapt depending on the course," Lavenu told Velo101.com. "The organizers design the course, the riders have to adapt. We will put together our team based on what has been presented. Carlos Betancur has already committed himself to the Tour  but we will have more leaders with Jean-Christophe Péraud and Romain Bardet. We'll see how we organize the race around these leaders."

Peraud had extremely bad luck this year and at 36 years of age, time is running out for the experienced Frenchman. However, Lavenu feels that the course suits the time trial specialist well.

I think this is a tour that is good for Jean-Christophe with a single time trial that seems quite difficult," he said. "It's good for our team because we do not have the best riders in the world for that discipline. We know we usually lose a lot of time in this area where Jean-Christophe is the only one who can limit the damage."

So far, the 5th stage with its cobbles has attracted most attention. On paper it may pose a challenge for Ag2r who hasn't excelled on the rough surface. With the signings of specialists Damien Gaudin and Sebastien Turgot, the team has, however, tried to strengthen its squad for the cobbled races.

"We have signed them because we had weaknesses in this area and we had the opportunity to add these two riders to our roster," Lavenu said. "It will help us a lot in Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, all the cobbled classics and in this stage of the Tour de France which could be an important target for them. There will be nine spots on the roster, the selection will be difficult."

This year the team had a team consisting purely of Frenchmen but with Betancur set to line up, this will change. Lavenu refuses to commit himself to surround the Colombian by Frenchmen.

"This year we had nine French riders in the Tour but it is not a given," he said. "What guides the selection is to get the best possible team, not nationality. As a French team with a French sponsor, we refuse to have less than five French riders in the Tour. However, the course and shape will decide the rest of the line-up."

Last week Lavenu said that the presence of cobbles meant that Pozzovivo is likely to target the Giro. He now confirms that the team will line up completely different rosters for the two first grand tours, stating that the Giro-Tour double is too difficult.

The Tour starts on July 5 in Leeds.