2022 Tour de France Betting
Tadej Pogačar has claimed the past two yellow jerseys and the Slovenian very much looks like the cyclist to beat when it comes to the 2022 Tour de France that takes place between 1-24 July.
The fact that the 23-year-old is such a strong mountain climber stands him in good stead, with Pogi having secured the mountains classification title in the past two years. It appears as though UAE Team Emirates are going to be a strong team and they obviously have the blueprint from the past couple of years.
However, cycling betting is not always predictable and there is always the risk of a rider getting injured along the way. Jonas Vingegaard is a talented Dane who will be looking to close the gap after finishing runner-up and the Team Jumbo-Visma all rounder was the recent winner of the La Drome Classic.
Considering that there were also runner-up performances in the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tirreno–Adriatico, then there’s a reasonable case for backing this rider each-way, while Primoz Roglic could be a big challenger to his Slovenian compatriot.
Roglic has landed three successive wins in the Vuelta a Espana and injury prevented him from competing at the business end of the Tour de France twelve months ago, with a second-placed finish in 2020 marking him out as a contender.
2021 Tour de France tips – bookies expecting Pogacar and Roglic to compete
There are always lots of interesting sub-plots when it comes to the Tour de France and the fascinating aspect of the 2021 renewal is the fact that the Ineos Grenadiers team don’t boast either of the two market leaders which is unusual when you consider that cyclists such as Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal have dominated.
Thomas is certainly not without a chance and he won the General Classification in 2018, with the Welshman guaranteed to have a good team surrounding him, although the thirty-four-year-old might have previously reached the peak of his powers.
Tadej Pogacar Looks Like the TdF Rider to Beat
Pogacar flies the flag for Slovenia and he’s also the reigning champion when it comes to the 2021 Tour de France, with the UAE Team Emirates cyclist recording a 59-second victory in the General Classification last year and he’s been well backed to secure another win.
Pogacar was the king of the mountains along with the young rider jersey, with the market leader hitting form at the right time when winning the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour de France and seeing off compatriot Primož Roglič who had been wearing a yellow jersey for a good chunk of the tour.
Primož Roglič Bang in Contention for First Yellow Jersey
Roglič is hard to ignore and will have learnt plenty of lessons after hitting the top of the General Classification after the ninth stage and he remained out in front for a further ten stages, with the rider having already demonstrated his prowess at the Vuelta a España.
Victories at this event in 2019 and 2020 really demonstrates that the Team Jumbo-Visma rider has the credentials to now secure the 2021 Tour de France title and he’ll look to build an insurmountable advantage this time around.
The Tour de France is the ultimate world cycling event and the 2019 renewal promises to be something special, with Geraint Thomas returning to defend his yellow jersey after a surprise victory in 2018.
The Welshman was initially thought to be playing second fiddle to champion Chris Froome within the Team Sky ranks, although Thomas stole a march halfway through the General Classification and ultimately proved to be the stronger rider which means he’s bidding for another victory.
Froome deliberately swerved the 2019 Giro d’Italia in advance of the Tour de France although his hopes of landing a fifth Tour de France were dealt a blow after a training accident and it means that the Brit won’t be lining up when the event takes place.
Egan Bernal Now a Main Contender
With the news that Tom Dumoulin is also absent from proceedings due to a knee injury, the outright betting market has been drastically altered in recent weeks. While Geraint Thomas is now trading as the favourite to win consecutive yellow jerseys, there has been plenty of support for Egan Bernal.
Bernal is another ride for Team Ineos and is regarded to be a first-string rider alongside Thomas which makes him a lively threat. Bernal was very impressive during the 2018 Tour despite the fact that he was made to work hard to ensure that Thomas and Froome were given good lead-ins during the mountain stage.
The 22-year-old looks like a massive threat and it could be that Bernal now gets the opportunity to emerge, with the Colombian taking advantage of the hole left by Froome’s absence.
Thomas Likely to Go For Win Again
It is clear that Geraint Thomas was not under team orders to allow Chris Froome to be top dog in the Team Sky ranks last year and will now be the primary ride for Team Ineos, with Bernal thought to be his main contender within the team.
Thomas was able to establish a lead during the 2018 Tour de France and, when it came to the crucial stages, the Welshman provided more stamina going up the mountains than Froome could provide.
We’re expecting more of the same from the 32-year-old who will be riding for the newly-named Team Ineos.
Jakob Fuglsang Also Among Favourites
There were worrying scenes in the Giro d’Italia as Tom Dumoulin was forced to retire from the event after crashing on stage four. Despite the Belgian’s best efforts to continue for Team Sunweb, the pain in his knee was too great and the 28-year-old has now been officially sidelined from the 2019 Tour de France.
With Froome also absent, many betting customers have latched on to Jakob Fuglsang, a rider who is regarded as one of the favourites by many cycling experts. The Astana rider has enjoyed victories at Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Vuelta a Andalucía and the Critérium du Dauphiné, so he arrives for the Tour with strong credentials.
The big question mark is whether the Swiss can compete hard over a three-week period although he finished in a creditable twelfth place last year and will be looking for a top three finish as a minimum this time around.
Tour De France 2019 Starts on 6 July
We have 21 stages in total and, as usual, all will come down to those brutal mountain stages. There are five high mountain stages in total, with the first taking place on 18 July when the riders will go from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
The action is particularly relentless in the final few days, with three consecutive mountain stages occurring between 25-27 July. The climb from Albertville to Val Thorens could be the defining moment on the penultimate day and it would be exciting if we saw a new winner crowned in the form of Egan Bernal.