For the first time in 25 years, all five mountain ranges of continental France will feature in next year's Tour de France, in a stretched-out endurance test of racing that smiles on the climbing strengths of defending champion Chris Froome and his Colombian rival, Nairo Quintana. In their quest to keep the 113-year-old race young, Tour organizers have again unearthed fresh challenges from the geography of France for the three-week slog, with new climbs and, on stage 18, an unprecedented mountain-top finish on the punishing Col d'Izoard high in the Alps - a rocky, hostile and lunar terrain that could be the final big battleground for the winner's check of 500,000 euros ($550,000). ''That's going to be one of the really decisive stages,'' said Froome, the race winner for Team Sky in 2013, 2015 and again this year. More...