Tour de France betting unquestionably draws more attention than sports betting on any other cycling race.
Nevertheless, many online betting fans who bet on Tour de France odds also wager on the sportsbook odds for the other two major cycling races—the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. By looking at the results from these two other major races, online sportsbook bettors can improve their analyses of the sports book sites’ Tour de France betting boards.
Tour de France betting fans frequently watch the Giro d’Italia to see how racers are performing as Tour de France betting approaches. The Giro d’Italia is held in May and sometimes early June, meaning it concludes less than two months before the Tour de France begins. In fact, many Tour de France betting fans begin to bet on Tour de France odds not long after the Giro is over. Denis Menchov was the winner of the 2009 Giro that recently finished, and, not surprisingly, online sportsbook betting sites have listed Menchov as one of the most favored riders in the 2009 Tour de France betting lines. The second and third place finishers, Danilo Di Luca and Franco Pellizotti, are not featured quite as highly in the Tour de France odds, but clearly deserve consideration when people bet on Tour de France odds. Also, it should be noted that Lance Armstrong finished twelfth place in the 2009 Giro, but that finish does not necessarily indicate he offers little value as a bet on Tour de France odds. Tour de France betting fans must remember that Armstrong is returning from retirement, and he was using the Giro as preparation for the Tour de France, rather than viewing it as a race he was focussed on winning.
The Vuelta takes place in Spain during early September, meaning the most recent Vuelta is held nearly a year before Tour de France betting begins. Nevertheless, because of this break some Tour de France betting fans actually feel as though one can obtain more Tour de France betting insights from watching the Vuelta than the Giro. Such is the case because some riders like Armstrong simply use the Giro as a tune-up for the Tour de France, while other riders, like Alberto Contador in 2009, skip the Giro altogether to focus on the Tour de France. Because the Vuelta is held after the Tour de France, these problems do not tend to affect the Vuelta in the same way. The most recent Vuelta was won by Contador, who is favored in the 2009 Tour de France betting lines. Also, Levi Leipheimer and Carlos Sastre, who finished in second and third, are also featured as heavy favorites in the 2009 Tour de France betting odds.
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