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- 2020 Tour de France Odds
- Should you stick with favorites, or look at new cyclists?
Originally scheduled to start on 27 June 2020, professional cycling, like other sports, is back with professional cycling's most prestigious event, the Tour de France. Set to be underway on August 29th, we've got 2020 Tour de France odds via Bovada ahead of the event.
With oddsmakers giving Team Ineos's riders the best chances to roll away with the yellow jersey, we run through each individual to locate which riders offer the most wagering value for bettors.
2020 Tour de France Odds: Favorites
Egan Bernal +250
Egan Arley Bernal Gomez and Team Ineos during Stage 2 of the the 72nd Criterium du Dauphine 2020.
After a two month delay, the 2020 Tour De France is set to hit the streets August 29th, where defending champion Egan Bernal is favored to take home consecutive titles.
The 22-year-old Colombian became the first of his countrymen to win the sport's most illustrious title, and in doing so he also became the event's youngest winner since World War II.
At +250 to win, Bernal has been impressive in recent French stage races. He placed 3rd in the Dauphine opening day, took the overall title in La Route d'Occitanie, and finished second in the recent tour de I'Ain.
Chris Froome +500
Oddsmakers list Bernal's Ineos teammate Chris Froome second at +500 to win his fifth Tour De France title. Froome brought home three consecutive titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, fell to Geraint Thomas in 2018, and missed last year's race after suffering a horrific injury in training.
Froome has appeared to struggle in recent outings, leaving some to speculate on the icon's fitness following his injury or to question if his poor results are simply part of his training regime.
While oddsmakers appear to like his chances, it is still unclear if Froome will even be selected by Team Ineos to participate given his pending departure from the team to join Israel Start-Up Nation.
Despite his legendary career, there remain too many uncertainties to justify Froome's price tag, especially given that he is formally not even locked in to participate.
Bernal has openly voiced his desire to have Froome riding alongside him in the tour, calling his experience and knowledge invaluable and important for the team.
Primoz Roglic +500
Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic sits next to Froome on the odds boards at +500, with bookies liking the Slovenian's chances following 2019's dominating Vuelta De Espana title and his team's defeat of Team Ineos in this year's Tour de I'Ain.
Roglic only has two Tour de France stage wins in his career, but an improved team will greatly improve his chances to pad this stat line all while keeping his chances to take the title alive.
Thibaut Pinot +800
As the highest price French national, Pinot is offered at +800 to win his first Tour de France, a feat the country has not clinched in 35 years. He withdrew from last year's race following a muscle tear but appears to be in top form following a 2nd place finish in the Dauphine's 2nd stage, where he finished eight seconds behind Roglic.
The stage saw him race to the top of Col de Porte, proving that Pinot has regained the strength and stamina required to climb with the world's best.
In Pinot's own words, 'Roglic is better than the rest… Behind, we are 10 or so at the same level.'
Tom Dumoulin +1000
Roglic's Jumbo-Visma teammate has a Giro de Italia title to his name and a 2nd place finish in the Tour de France two seasons ago, but much like Froome, injuries will be Dumoulin's biggest challenge.
At +1000, Tom has been sidelined following a crash in the Giro de Italia, and an ongoing knee issue could prove to be detrimental in one of the sporting world's most physically demanding feats.
Stick With Favorites, Or Look Outside The Pack?
Bernal has both form and the strength of his team behind him, as Team Ineos features three riders in the top 5 projections. However, should Froome miss this year's race, teammate Geraint Thomas could make a quick climb up the odds boards.
Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France winner, would see Team Ineos' reliance on him drastically increase, meaning his chance to finish atop the podium would surge as well.
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Call it what you want — a coincidence or an indicator — but each of cycling's five-time winners of the Tour de France won one of their yellow jerseys in a year ending with a one.
Let's explain: Jacques Anquetil, the first rider to win five Tours, won his second of five crowns in 1961. A decade later, Eddy Merckx won his third of five in 1971.
You can see where this is going; Bernard Hinault won his third in 1981, and a decade later, Miguel Indurain won the first of his five consecutive Tour crowns in 1991.
The streak continued for another decade, with Lance Armstrong winning his third Tour in 2001, only to see all of his Tour victories struck from the official record books.
In 2011, Cadel Evans won Australia's first yellow jersey in what would be his lone Tour victory just as Team Sky was emerging as cycling's new Tour powerhouse.
Of course, randomly selected statistics have nothing to do with determining the winner of cycling's most prestigious grand tour.
Bernal has both form and the strength of his team behind him, as Team Ineos features three riders in the top 5 projections. However, should Froome miss this year's race, teammate Geraint Thomas could make a quick climb up the odds boards.
Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France winner, would see Team Ineos' reliance on him drastically increase, meaning his chance to finish atop the podium would surge as well.
Member Exclusive
Become a member to unlock this story and receive other great perks.
Call it what you want — a coincidence or an indicator — but each of cycling's five-time winners of the Tour de France won one of their yellow jerseys in a year ending with a one.
Let's explain: Jacques Anquetil, the first rider to win five Tours, won his second of five crowns in 1961. A decade later, Eddy Merckx won his third of five in 1971.
You can see where this is going; Bernard Hinault won his third in 1981, and a decade later, Miguel Indurain won the first of his five consecutive Tour crowns in 1991.
The streak continued for another decade, with Lance Armstrong winning his third Tour in 2001, only to see all of his Tour victories struck from the official record books.
In 2011, Cadel Evans won Australia's first yellow jersey in what would be his lone Tour victory just as Team Sky was emerging as cycling's new Tour powerhouse.
Of course, randomly selected statistics have nothing to do with determining the winner of cycling's most prestigious grand tour.
What the statistics do reveal, however, is that every decade since the 1960s has seen the Tour dominated by a generational rider.
When it comes to Tour winners, at least since the 1960s, the 'ones' have it.
Using that statistical inference, 2021 will be the best and perhaps last chance for Chris Froome to win what would be his fifth Tour title.
With seven career grand tour victories, Froome is already the best grand tour rider of his generation. Among active riders, only Vincenzo Nibali with four grand tour wins comes close.
Yet if Froome falls short, he could become the first rider to win four Tours de France who did not go on to win a fifth title.
What are his chances in 2021? Based on how his recovery went in 2020 from his horrific crash at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, some say Froome still seems well short of Tour-winning form.
Froome struggled throughout his 2020 season and was dropped in every key stage of the 2020 Vuelta a España. Yet in trademark Froome style, he refused to give up, and by finishing the Vuelta earlier in November, Froome at least completed his first grand tour since his third overall in the 2018 Tour.
As Froome knows better than anyone, there is a huge gap between completing a grand tour and competing for overall victory.
Insiders are split on Froome's prospects for 2021. Even if Froome can return to his best form next season, some say it's unlikely he will be able to match the explosive power of riders such as Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) or Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Emirates). Time is also catching up, and Froome will be 36 when he takes to the start line of the 2021 Tour.
Yet everyone also agrees there are few riders as determined as Froome, who will be doubly motivated with his high-profile move to Israel Start-Up Nation in 2021 to prove everyone is wrong.
If Froome is going to win a record-tying fifth Tour, his best chance could come in 2021 on a course that sees the most time trial kilometers since 2013.
Odds Froome To Win Tours
That year, of course, marked the opening of the 'Froome Era,' with the first of his four Tour crowns. Most top riders have about one decade at the top, and for Froome, that window is closing.
Odds Froome To Win Tournament
If the fifth comes in 2021 — another year ending in 'one' — it will only serve to confirm him as the most dominant rider of his generation.
Odds Froome To Win Tour Championship
History is on his side. After all, the other Tour greats won one of theirs in the 'ones.'
