Cycling Odds - Cycling Grand Tours Betting

Cycling Betting Online

The sport of cycling has three major annual events. The Giro d’Italia, Tour De France, and Vuelta a España are the three most important events in the sport. They are known as Grand Tours, and they are all three-week-long races broken down into daily stages.

From a gambling perspective, the Grand Tour races are the only ones that draw any noticeable betting handle, and the Tour de France dwarfs the other two Grand Tour events as the Super Bowl of cycling. The Tour de France generates more gambling activity than all other cycling events combined.

Of course, many fans and gamblers associate cycling and the Tour de France with perpetual doping scandals. From the very start of the Tour de France in 1903, cheating has been part of the fabric of the event. The first Tour de France winner, Maurice Garin, set the standard for this tradition. Garin was stripped of his win in the second Tour de France in 1904.

Namely, Lance Armstrong lives in cycling infamy as the greatest cheater of all time. Armstrong won the Tour de France every year from 1999 through 2005, only to be stripped of each title for doping. The three winners before Armstrong were also stripped of their titles for doping.

However, Armstrong made a lot of money before he was caught, as did many gamblers that rode his wave and cashed in their tickets before the story blew up.

In recent years, the sport has significantly improved in cleaning up its competitors and image. The last disqualified rider was Floyd Landis in 2006. Since then, Alberto Contador and Chris Froome had close calls but kept their titles. Most important of all, gamblers kept their winnings regardless.

2023 Cycling Grand Tours Schedule

2023 Giro d' Italia

Date: May 6-28, 2023

Last Seven Winners

2022 – Jai Hindley (AUS)

2021 – Egan Bernal (COL)

2020 – Tao Geoghegan (GBR)

2019 – Richard Carapaz (ECU)

2018 – Chris Froome (GBR)

2017 – Tom Dumoulin (GBR)

2016 – Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)

2023 Tour de France

Date: July 1-23, 2023

Last Seven Winners

2022 – Jonas Vingegaard (DEN)

2021 – Tadej Pogacar (SLO)

2020 – Tadej Pogacar (SLO)

2019 – Egan Bernal (COL)

2018 – Geraint Thomas (GBR)

2017 – Chris Froome (GBR)

2016 – Chris Froome (GBR)

2023 Vuelta a España

Date: August 26 – September 17, 2023

Last Seven Winners

2022 – Remco Evenepoel (BEL)

2021 – Primoz Roglic (SLO)

2020 – Primoz Roglic (SLO)

2019 – Primoz Roglic (SLO)

2018 – Simon Yates (GBR)

2017 – Chris Froome (GBR)

2016 – Nairo Quintana (COL)

Road cycling is the most popular form of professional cycle racing in terms of the number of competitors and the number of events. There are two common formats used in cycle racing: mass start and time trial events. One reason for the large number of events is the sheer number of bicycle racing categories, including mountain bike racing, track cycling, and BMX.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the sport’s world governing body. The 2020 UCI World Tour is a series of 37 road cycling events held throughout the year. The season starts in late January with the first stage of the Tour Down Under in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and concludes in late October with the final leg of the Tour of Guangxi.

Many countries have their own national governing body to oversee the sport within their borders. For example, USA Cycling covers the various racing categories in the United States and organizes and sanctions over 2,000 events across the country each year. British Cycling represents Great Britain at UCI and manages the popular British National Road Race Championships, which many cyclists prepare for the Tour de France.

To excel at cycling, bicyclists have to overcome several terrains. Yes, it certainly helps to ride across a flat surface, but there’s also mountain climbing and the ability to hit maximum speed, which keeps cyclists at the top of their game. It's a skill that not many have, and it's no wonder why there are only a handful of racers every year who seem to have a shot in the top competitions.

And those athletes typically come from European countries where professional racing is most popular. France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium have a history with road cycle racing dating back to the late 19th century with some of the earliest races from those countries are still among the sport’s biggest events. Cycling has also been a part of the Olympics since the first games were held in 1896. However, the sport's popularity has allowed other countries to produce world-class cycle racers.

The three Grand Tour races – Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a Espana – are all stage races where the cyclist with the lowest cumulative time to complete all stages is declared the winner. Thus, a cyclist does not have to win individual stages to emerge victoriously.

The world of cycling isn't ventured into often by bettors, but often, it's a great way to make some quick cash while taking advantage of betting lines the general public avoids.

Most Individual Grand Tour Wins

Log into BookMaker Sportsbook and get the best Cycling Betting Odds, Cycling Betting Articles and information about this and all other sports betting events!