Tour de France Betting Previews 2020
Nice - Nice
August 30th, 186kms
So, as if stage one's route wasn't a hard enough start to the Tour, stage 2 will really show up anyone who isn't at 100% starting the race. Two Cat 1s and the Col d'Eze will certainly make this one of the most interesting 2nd Tour stages in a long time.
Mantes La Joile to Paris
Sunday 19th July, 122kms
The traditional curtain call on the Champs-Elysees of Paris, one last chance for the sprinters. Caleb Ewan just held off Dylan Groenewegen last year, to take his third stage win of the race, and his 7th podium in all in the 2019 TDF..
Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles
September 19th, 36.2kms
Now this is going to be interesting.. a 36km TT up to La Planche des Belles Filles - it's going to be brutal and decisive. Flat for 14kms, then a drag at 2.3% for 11kms, a short respite for 6kms, then the 6km climb up to LPDBF at 8.5%.
Bourg-en-Bresse - Champagnole
Friday 17th July, 160kms
A flat sprinters stage two days before the end of the Tour de France? What were they thinking.. Well I guess they were thinking about giving the GC contenders a rest day before the final TT tomorrow, a chance to recharge the batteries.
Méribel to La Roche-sur-Foron
Thursday 16th July, 168kms
A big day of climbing lies ahead of the riders today, in fact there's over 4,000m of ascension on the roads between Méribel and La Roche-sur-Foron. But it's not a summit finish on the last key road stage, but a downhill run for the last 9kms or so.
Grenoble to Méribel Col de la Loze
Wed July 13th, 168kms
A tough day of climbing in the Alps, with two monster climbs to get over. First up the Col de La Madeliene, which takes them to 2,000m followed by a first ever time up the Col de la Loze, which reaches the highest point in the Tour at 2,304m.
TDF 2020 Stage 16
La Tour-du-Pin to Villard-de-Lans
Tues 14th July, 164kms
A very tricky, lumpy day in the saddle that kicks off the tryptich of stages in the Alps. There are lots of climbs on the route to test the GC men, but it looks like it could well be a day for the breakaway.
TDF 2020 Stage 15
Lyon to Grand Colombier
September 13th, 174.5kms
After many years of going over the Grand Colombier, we get a summit finish on the 'Bugey Pyramid'. Cycling fans have long wanted one and the TDF have finally delivered, so we'll be treated to some spectacular shots up those famous hairpins.
Clermont Ferrand - Lyon
September 12th, 194kms
This is a really interesting looking stage, a wild route with lots of climbing and and finishing circuit around Lyon that takes in two punchy little hills before a possible sprint finish at the end of a flat last 2kms.
Chatel Guyon - Puy Mary
September 11th, 191.5kms
A 'Medium Mountain' stage that actually contains the most vertical metres climbed of any stage of the entire race, a whopping 4,400m. This is a tough day out in the Massif Central, where the weather can turn wet and cold from one valley to the next.
Chauvigny - Sarran
September 9th, 218kms
The longest stage of the 2020 Tour. In fact, unusually, it is the only stage this year that goes over 200kms. The stage passes through the home town of Raymond Poulidor, the man who finished runner up in the Tour 3 times, finsihed 3rd a further five times, but never won it.
Châtelaillon-Plage - Poitiers
September 9th, 167.5kms
They leave the coast and head inland, through the marshlands of Poitou. Poitiers was the scene of a great win for Arnaud Démare in 2014 when wearing the French champions jersey, but there won't be a repeat of that win with no Démare in the race.
île d'Oléron (Le Château-d'Oléron) - Île de Ré (Saint-Martin-de-Ré)
September 8th, 168.5kms
You can almost see the finish line at Le Chateau d'Oleron from the start line on the Ile de Ré, it's just across the harbour. But it will be no plain sailing on this stage for the peloton, as the wind could howl and cause consternation once again!
Cazères - Loudenvielle
September 5th, 141kms
The Tour arrives in the Pyrenees with two stages in the mountains, but disappointingly, neither stage finishes with a summit finish, both finishes coming at the end of a descent and flat run to the finish.
Millau - Lavaur
September 4th, 168kms
Another semi-rest day for the majority of the pack. After a lumpy start for 73kms it's then downhill for 50kms followed by 40kms of a flat run to the finish. It looks like another day for the sprinters, with a long flat run to the finish.
TDF 2020 Stage 6
Le Teil - Mont Aigoual
September 3rd, 191kms
We've had our first summit finish, but it didn't really show us much about Roglic's rivals really, as it just turned in to a sort of 30-rider team time trial and a sprint finish, won by the strongest man on the strongest team with all the main protagonists strung out in a line behind him.
TDF 2020 Stage 5
Gap - Privas
September 2nd, 183kms
They head out of the Alps and start heading west, and spend most of the day descending, in fact they descend for almost 160kms before the road starts to rise again all the way to the finish, with the last 10kms being all uphill.
TDF 2020 Stage 4
Sisteron - Orcieres Merlette
September 1st, 160.5kms
A stage with the description 'hilly' doesn't sound too bad, right? Well that description is a little loose, seeing as it ends in a Cat 1 climb that rises to over 1,800m! It should be yet another stunningly beautiful stage though as they head north to the ski station at Orcieres Merlette.
TDF 2020 Stage 3
Nice - Sisteron
August 31st, 198kms
The last time the Tour visited Sisteron was when it was a departure town for a stage to Bourg-Les-Valance which was won in a bunch sprint by Mark Cavendish. This time the Tour arrives, but it looks like it will end in another sprint finish.
TDF 2020 Other Markets
A selection of other bets.
My usual look at the weird and wonderful world of the other markets to bet on in the Tour de France. For once, there is a wide selection of bets to look at and there is often value to be found, if you dig around a little.
Nice - Nice
August 29, 170kms
The Grand Depart of the 2020 Tour de France will see a lot of riders on familiar roads, with so many pros living in and around the Nice/Monaco area of France. It's supposed to be a day for the sprinters, but with lots of hills out on the course, will we see them all at the finish?
Who will be the top team?
This time last year Movistar were the hot 8/13 favourites to take the prize for the 4th time in five years, their run only broken by Sky in 2017. And they did indeed deliver, beating Trek by almost 48 mins and Ineos by almost 58 mins.
King of the Mountains Preview
This competition turned a good Tour in to a great Tour for me last year with my headline 66/1 pick of Romain Bardet. Ok, we got a little lucky maybe in the end with the way the final two stages panned out, but who cares, right?!
Like last year, it looks like Egan Bernal just has to finish the race to win this jersey. If you think he's maybe not going to be good enough to overhaul Roglic, then taking him to win the white jersey might be a safer bet!
Pau - Laruns
September 6th, 153kms
The second day in the Pyrenees looks to be one for the breakaway men to have a bit of fun with. The start and finish are only 40kms apart, but they take in a 153km run through the hills including two Cat 1s, which should get the KOM boys interested.
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Who'll win the Green Jersey?
Could this be the year we finally see Peter Sagan dethroned as king of the Green Jerseys? After winning a record 7th Green last year, Sagan is back for another go and is once again the hot favourite at a skinny-looking 8/11.
TDF 2020 - Favourites
A look at the main favourites chances
Well what a build up we have had to the 2020 Tour de France. First it looked like we might not get a Tour at all, then it gets moved to a date that takes them in to September, normally Vuelta time..
