Last year the pandemic wreaked havoc on the greatest sporting events in the world. None of them were spared. And among the biggest was the Tour de France. But for 2021, the greatest event in cycling returns after a one-year absence. Through the years, the Tour de France has endured perpetual controversy. First among the issues has been doping. There is always a cloud over whoever beats the cycling betting odds. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the favorite to repeat as champion. Overall, the Tour de France has more repeat winners than most other events.
2021 Tour de France
| Date: | June 26 through July 18, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Defending Champion: | Tadej Pogacar |
2021 Tour de France Odds to Win
| Cyclist | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tadej Pogacar | 6/5 |
| Primoz Roglic | 15/8 |
| Geraint Thomas | 5/1 |
| Richard Carapaz | 16/1 |
| Egan Bernal | 12/1 |
| Julian Alaphilippe | 33/1 |
| Richie Porte | 25/1 |
| Tao Geoghegan Hart | 25/1 |
| Miguel Angel Lopez | 40/1 |
| Wout Van Aert | 50/1 |
| Joao Almeida | 66/1 |
| Adam Yates | 66/1 |
| Enrick Mas Nicolau | 66/1 |
| Steven Kruijswijk | 80/1 |
| Nairo Quintana | 50/1 |
| Sepp Kuss | 50/1 |
| Alexander Vlasov | 80/1 |
| Chris Froome | 80/1 |
| Daniel Martinez | 70/1 |
| Simon Yates | 66/1 |
| Hugh Carthy | 66/1 |
| All Other Riders | 100/1 or Higher |
2021 Tour de France SBG Odds Overview
This will be the 108th edition of the Tour de France. Cause of lingering pandemic issues, it will open in Demark at Brest. Of course, the event will end in Paris. The Tour was moved up a could of weeks to not conflict with the Olympic games. Specifically, the seventh stage will mark the longest since 2000 at 154 miles. A total of 23 teams will be listed on the sportsbook board. That includes all 19 UCI World Teams.
Doping Down
At the onset, doping has been a part of the Tour de France. In 1924 Henri Pelissier and his brother Charles admitted to using many drugs, including those meant for horses, to gain an advantage. Of course, the doping issue exploded in the early 2000s when seven-time champion Lance Armstrong was busted dead to rights. Armstrong had been living a lie for years as then ultimate American super-hero. Yet there was always a cloud over him and suspicion of something afoul. Armstrong was stripped of all seven titles. And a new winner was never named.
Following Lance Armstrong’s retirement into permanent disgrace, Floyd Landis won the Tour in 2006. He was to be the new champion after Armstrong. Instead, Landis was also stripped of the title for doping. He never “won” again. And then, in 2010, Alberto Contador was stripped of his championship. Since then, all championships have held up. Although Chris Froome, in particular, was constantly hounded with allegations after three consecutive titles from 2015 through 2017.
Top Contenders
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar was the 2020 winner for the UAE Team Emirates. It was his first Tourn de France championship. He is currently second in the UCI World Rankings.
Pogacar’s compatriot Primoz Roglic is the next choice for gamblers with the cycling odds. First on the UCI World Rankings belongs to Roglic. Roglic is a former ski jumper and has held the number one ranking for 69 consecutive weeks. That string is a record. Roglic is best known for winning the Vuelta an Espana in 2019 and 2020.
Geraint Thomas of Great Britain was the Tour de France 2018 winner. In sum, Thomas is a three-time world champion.