The Tour de France is the most popular cycling event in the world. Millions of Tour de France fans line the streets of France and other countries some years to cheer on the 150+ cyclists competing to win. Are you interested in learning how to bet on the Tour de France? We’ve got you covered.
The race features 21 stages that are each one day, spread across 23 days in July annually.
All of the major sportsbooks offer lots of ways to bet on the Tour de France every year. We’re going to teach you how to bet on the Tour de France and explain the different betting markets available.
Tour de France Betting Markets Explained
Here are the most popular ways to bet on the Tour de France:
Outright Winner: You need to predict the overall winner of the Tour de France.
Top 3 or 10 Finish: You select a cyclist to finish in the top 3 or top 10 instead of picking the winner.
Stage Winner: You can bet on the winner of every single-day stage during the race.
Head-to-Head (Matchups): With H2H matchup bets, two riders are paired together and you need to predict which rider will finish higher. There are H2H markets for the full race and single stages.
Points Classification: Cyclists accumulate points for finishing high on stages and winning intermediate sprints. You can predict which rider will win the points classification (sprinter’s classification).
Mountains Classification: Climbing specialists compete to win the Polka Dot jersey. You can bet on which rider you think will be crowned the King of the Mountains every year at the Tour de France.
Young Rider Classification: Riders under the age of 26 compete for the white jersey. If you have your eyes set on a young rider, you should target them in the young rider classification betting market.
Team Classification: Teams also compete at the Tour de France in separate standings. There are often 20 teams (up to 22 teams can compete) competing to win the team classification every year.
Tour de France Betting Strategy and Tips
We’re going to leave you with some tips for betting on the Tour de France.
Form: Look at how riders have performed leading up to the Tour de France. You want to only look at the most recent performances when it comes to cycling, as lots can change in the matter of weeks.
Team: The top riders fighting to win the general classification at the Tour de France are only as strong as their team. Riders on weak teams should be avoided. You also need to analyze the teams if you’re going to wager on the team classification. A well-rounded team with no weak links is what you should look for.
Injuries: Cyclists get injured all of the time, either during races or training. You need to know about any recent injuries that could impact a rider that you’re thinking about betting on. The Tour de France is a grueling race that requires riders to complete a one-day stage 21 times in 23 days. Any lingering injuries is enough to avoid that rider in the Tour de France betting markets.
Read more of our expert betting guides next.