176 riders will line up in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday for the 2023 Tour de France, but according to the bookies it is a two-rider race.
William Hill is unable to split UAE Team Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar and Team Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard, who are both at 2.20 to arrive in Paris on July 23rd wearing the yellow jersey.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 30th, 1:00 P.M. (BST)
The 2022 champion Vingegaard became the second Danish winner in the Tour’s history and was second in his maiden appearance in 2021.
Twelve months ago he took the yellow jersey from Pogačar after victory on stage 11 and held onto it for the next 10 days, thanks in large part to another win in the Pyrenees on stage 18.
So far this year, he has warmed up perfectly for this race by winning the Tour of the Basque Country, the Critérium du Dauphiné and O Gran Camiño.
Slovenian Pogačar had to settle for the runners-up place on the Champs-Elysees podium last July, an unfamiliar place after back-to-back victories in 2020 and 2021.
He won three stages last year and held the Maillot Jaune for five days but, unlike the previous editions, one rider was able to match his explosive style and defend the jersey.
In 2023 he has taken victory in the Vuelta a Andalucía and beat Vingegaard en route to winning Paris-Nice, but a wrist fracture at Liège–Bastogne–Liège has cast doubt over his readiness for three weeks in France.
Away from the big two, 2022 Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley of Bora-Hansgrohe at 19.00 is the best of the rest, while his Australian compatriot Ben O’Connor (26.00) of AG2R Citroën Team will be eyeing a first Grand Tour podium.
2019 winner Egan Bernal (51.00) rides for Ineos Grenadiers but their best hope is expected to be Tom Pidcock at 34.00. Movistar will be gearing up to get Enric Mas (26.00) into position while Tour de Suisse champion Mattias Skjelmose (34.00) is the best fancied of the debutants.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 30th, 1:00 P.M. (BST)
Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen won two stages of the 2022 tour and is favourite for the points classification and green jersey this time around at 2.00 after finishing second a year ago. Wout van Aert took the title comfortably last year but is only 4.00 this time, ahead of Fabio Jakobsen (4.50) and Mads Pedersen (10.00)
Still only 24, Pogačar is the clear favourite for the white jersey for best young rider. Guilio Ciccone was the third best climber in 2022 but is the 4.50 favourite to be King of the Mountains this time ahead of the two yellow jersey contenders.
