While Cycling has long been popular on the continent, Britain is just waking up to the ins and outs of what can be a complex and confusing sport.
Cycling provides a fantastic wagering opportunity for avid fans and casual bettors alike. Although the Tour de France garners the most betting action, the cycling season is packed full of internationally covered events offering plenty of value. Betting on cycling events, like golf, draws interest from countries all over the world thanks to players from everywhere participating in each event. Cycling betting might not draw the odds coverage of NFL football but it does get plenty coverage from the top betting sites.
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Cycling and betting expert Vicki Russell looks for the best betting value on the 2022 Tour de France...
Using Research to Bet on Cycling
It is paramount that you do your research. For example, in these tours riders are members of teams, who work towards helping their lead rider by countering other teams’ attacks and by launching attacks themselves. They also protect the main rider from getting bunched in, and let him slipstream teammates to expend less energy.
So, when betting on an outright tour winner, be sure to choose a team’s lead rider, otherwise you’ll be relying on the leader to crash out in order for your guy to potentially take over. It’s also rare for riders to tackle all three Grand Tours in the same year, so check out exactly who is riding a tour and the team that will be accompanying them. Take these points into account when considering your cycling betting strategy. After you've done your research you'll want to sign up with a top online bookmaker and avail of a decent sign-up offer. Here's our current recommendations:
Established 1997
Total Sports
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Cash Out
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25
Yes
Bet Builder
Can you create your own personalised bets?
18+. Min deposit €10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least €10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at €500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game T&Cs apply.
Established 2001
Total Sports
The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
32
Yes
Bet Builder
Can you create your own personalised bets?
Because of variables, cycling betting can be a bit of a lottery. However, this can work in your favour, as the sport is less watched by Irish betting sites, meaning that you might be able to spot good value riders that they've overlooked. As a result, cycling betting markets like 'Stage Winner' have generous odds. Winning stages is largely a competition between the peloton's sprinters, with teams trying to get the sprinter into a position to win as they approach the finish.
It’s not easy to call, but look towards the high-class sprinters and note their history on that particular stage, or stages of that variety, and you won’t go far wrong. Perhaps the most predicable element of road cycling is the time trial stages, as these are just the rider against the clock. You won’t get as long odds as in normal stage winner markets, but there are specialists in this area who can be worth backing heavily.
Olympic Cycling Betting
Olympic cycling events are split into four main categories. These are track cycling, road cycling, mountain biking and BMX, with bookmakers offering a variety of markets for each. Most markets are spread across track and road cycling, which are split into sprint and endurance races. Sprint races are all about speed and athleticism, with riders competing over a short number of laps, whereas endurance events require riders to maintain stamina and concentration over a longer distance. The objective is the same in both; to cover the distance in the shortest possible time.
Established 2001
Acca Insurance - Y/N
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
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Established 2017
Acca Insurance - Y/N
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Team cycling differs slightly in that it involves multiple cyclists sharing the burden, and so is an interesting event to look at in terms of cycling betting. For example, the team sprint is a 3-man time trial held over 3 laps in a velodrome. At the end of each lap, the leading cyclist pulls up the banking to leave the second rider to lead the second lap. The second rider does the same, allowing the third rider to complete the last lap on his own. Many bookmakers offer markets on the individual lap times of the three riders, as well as the overall time.
Grand Tours of European
The other main event in the cycling calendar is the Tour de France which, along with the Giro D’Italia and the Vuelta De Espana, makes up the three Grand Tours of European road cycling. The Tour remains the most prestigious, however, and winning the coveted Yellow Jersey is the pinnacle of any cyclist’s career.
Tours are broken down into days, known as stages, which come in different guises: mountain stages, flat stages and time trials, which all suit different types of rider. Riders compete over these stages for the right to wear certain jerseys.
The main jerseys on offer are usually for the overall leader (rider with the lowest overall time) and the points leader (points are awarded for high finishes in each stage, or for crossing a certain point in the stage first). The coveted Yellow Jersey is the Tour de France's award for the overall leader.