Absence: Chris Froome hints at missing 2015 Tour de France

The 102nd edition of the prestigious race will get under way in the Netherlands city of Utrecht at the start of July before the highlights include seven mountain stages, three hilly stages and five summit finishes.

While the likes of defending champion Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador will be relishing the route, Team Sky lead rider Froome has instead talked up his chances of competing in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, leaving his Tour participation in serious doubt.

"There's no two ways about it, next year's Tour is going to be about the mountains," said the 2013 Tour winner on his official website.

"There's very little emphasis on time trialling which means the race will be decided up in the high mountains. With six mountain-top finishes it is going to be an aggressive and massively demanding race."

"The team and I will have to give it some careful consideration before we make any commitments to which of the grand tours I will compete in.

"I see myself as quite a balanced GC [general classification] rider and the Giro with its inclusion of a long TT [time trial] of 60km and tough uphill finishes will make it a well-balanced race which suits me well.

"If I did the Giro I may also be able to get myself back to top shape for the Vuelta and go there with a realistic chance of aiming for the win".

"In the past I've only targeted one grand tour each season but it could be a good opportunity for me to focus seriously on two. It's still early days though and we'll have to sit down and put our heads together as a team to work out what 2015 is going to look like for us."

Froome's Tour defence ended in heartbreak for the Kenya-born rider after he crashed out on the fifth stage back in July and suffered fractures to his left wrist and hand.

The 29-year-old recovered in time for the Vuelta and finished second behind Tinkoff-Saxo's Contador.