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The biggest annual sporting event on the planet gets underway on Friday as the Tour de France peloton weaves it way through four countries before concluding on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, 24 July.
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You can expect the usual fair of time trials, mountain climbs and thrilling sprint finishes en route to Paris as the world’s best riders battle it out for the different jerseys on offer. We’ve scoured Paddy Power’s Tour de France betting markets and picked out four fancies. Let’s get to it!
Tour Winner: Tadej Pogacar
He’s won the last two editions of the Tour de France and it’s difficult to go against Tadej Pogacar becoming the ninth man in history to top the general classification for a third time. The Slovenian’s carried his fine form into 2022 so it’s no surprise that he heads into the race as the overwhelming favourite. The potential threat of a positive coronavirus test could be the greatest danger to the 23-year-old, although he will need to see off Team Jumbo–Visma’s twin attack of Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic if he’s to be wearing yellow in Paris.
Podium Finish: Ben O’Connor
Ben O’Connor claimed a stage victory in the mountains on his way to fourth place in the general classification on his Tour de France debut last year. The Aussie has continued to progress this season with a decent effort in the Critérium du Dauphiné, placing third overall behind Vingegaard and Roglic. If Team Jumbo–Visma pick between the pair to hunt down Pogacar in the GC battle then it could enhance our pick’s chances of claiming the final spot on the podium. Bora-Hansgrohe’s Aleksandr Vlasov is another with podium potential but he tested positive for Covid-19 when leading this month’s Tour de Suisse so you’d be banking on him having made a complete recovery.
Mountains Classification: Romain Bardet
Romain Bardet was the King of the Mountains in 2019 and has two general classification podium finishes on his CV – but he hasn’t won a Tour de France stage since 2017. The Frenchman is likely to be on the very fringes of the GC scrap so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him launch wave after wave of attacks in the mountains in a bid to secure a stage success and another polka dot jersey. Bardet will also be eager to give the locals something to shout about what with French favourite and world champion Julian Alaphilippe being absent from this year’s race.
Stage 1 Winner: Filippo Ganna
The opening stage is a punchy 13.2km time trial around Copenhagen and there’s one man for the job. Ineos Grenadiers rider Filippo Ganna won the men’s individual time trials at the last two Road World Championships and has racked up plenty of victories throughout this calendar year including the short, sharp prologue at the Tour de la Provence so this test will suit. It may be his first Tour de France but the 25-year-old has the time-trialling pedigree to secure the maillot jaune on day one.
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