So, the Tour de France starts on Friday, the grand tour race is not short on upper echelon names this time around. There is Primoz Roglic or Tadej Pogacar for the three-plus week tour, which starts on July 1st in Copenhagen, Denmark. It ends on July 24th down the Champs-Elysses in Paris, France.
Below, we present the top 13 cyclists listed below in our Tour de France Picks for the 2022 Championship. This reveals some safer scenarios, a long shot, and a possible three-peat of Tadej Pogacar. It would appear that some younger and older riders could surprise. Also, do not forget our Vegas online picks and news which include some NHL and NBA Playoff action.
Tour de France Outright Odds 2022 | |
---|---|
Tadej Pogacar | -175 |
Primoz Roglic | +275 |
Jonas Vingegaard | +600 |
Daniel Martinez | +1200 |
Alexander Vlasov | +1800 |
Geraint Thomas | +2500 |
Enric Mas | +3300 |
Adam Yates | +3300 |
Wout von Aert | +4000 |
Jack Haig | +5000 |
Richard Carapaz | +5000 |
Mikel Landa | +8000 |
Ben O'Connor | +10000 |
Tadej Pogacar is a Tour de France three-peat favorite at -175. There is something about Pogacar and this event that both have a flare for the dramatic. Why? Pogacar has won the grand tour twice in a row now and needed a little luck and some dramatics both times. His heart of a champion shined through in the most crucial moments.
In 2020, Pogacar (Slovenia) burst onto the scene for Team UAE. The 2020 Tour had an interesting dynamic. Pogacar showed he could hang with the best riders and was within shouting distance of Primoz Roglic. Going into the time trial, Roglic still held a 57-second league after Pogacar surprisingly lost time on the queen stage. The time trial had a climb late where the Slovenians made history. He dusted the field and won his first Tour de France.
Some pundits felt the 2020 triumph at 21 was just a fluke. Pogacar showed that the now 23-year-old could contend anywhere and everywhere. The 2021 Tour de France was a little different with the new champion being the hunted. It did not matter as the chaotic weather decimated some teams, Pogacar rose above and won the 2021 event by more than five minutes of Jonas Vingegaard. His versatility was the Slovenian’s strength in repeating.
The big thing at VegasBetting, we suggest, is to keep in mind the whole body of work. Here is why. Roglic and Vingegaard just destroyed the Criterium du Dauphine on a brilliant Stage 8 attack on Sunday. It was a weekend where the fellow Slovenian looked his best in some time. Now, the difference with Pogacar is so little phases him, and he does not makes catastrophic mistakes, he causes them. That makes him tops on our Tour de France picks.
Primoz Roglic is again a name to ponder for the 2022 Tour de France. The Slovenian cyclist is now 32 years old. Roglic has overcome so much to win Three Vuelta A Espana’s and countless other races and awards. However, it is the Tour de France that has alluded him in ways that would drive lesser athletes totally crazy. To say, the cyclist has had his ups and downs is an understatement.
Now, the Tour de France has been plagued with misery. In 2020, Roglic lost around two minutes to Pogacar in the final time trial. He cracked on the last climb as the speed of his younger countryman proved too much. Last year, Roglic ultimately crashed out of the Tour de France in what was a chaotic and unusually wet first week. Again, Roglic employs a racing style that cashes in on the highest of highs but delivers the lowest of the lows.
With that result, Roglic feels he is ready for what the Tour de France can dish at him. There was some concern on the high mountain on Sunday that Roglic may not even be the strongest racer on his team. The Slovenian had knee surgery that still causes the rare, occasional issue. Racing in the Tour de France less than three weeks after the Criterium could cause Roglic to falter again come the third week.
With that mouthful, the Slovenian cyclist has the goods to challenge his countryman. This is because, unlike most of the other contenders, Roglic can truly attack at any time and any way. That carries many risks but rewards. It comes down to the legs. The Tour this year has three ugly stages before the first rest day and three more, including Alpe d’Huez. Finally, there’s a three-day run in the Pyrenees. Roglic has value in the Tour de France picks.
Again, there are some other names to take a look at for this year’s Tour de France. One has to be Jonas Vingegaard. When Roglic crashed out last year, Vingegaard took Jumbo Visma under his wing and finished second overall. He helped Roglic win the Criterium on Sunday and could have won it himself. The only question is his consistency over three weeks. However, at +600, there is some value to bite on.
Then, there are the usual long-shot suspects, Mikel Landa, Daniel Martinez, etc. There are riders who could contend, but why not Australian Ben O’Connor. What got lost last year was O’Connor’s top-five finish. If not for a few bad breaks, he may have ended up on the podium. O’Connor finished third in the Criterium, is in great form, and almost hauled Vingegaard and Roglic back in on Sunday.
That being said, O’Connor is worth a flier at +10000. However, Vingegaard is still a good look here to possibly win his first Tour.
Take Tadej Pogacar as our best option to win the 2022 Tour de France and the three-peat.
See the top online betting sites, like BetUS, where you can wager on this Cycling future and plenty of other events for late June and early July.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."