How bets work on cycling ?
While it may not be as popular as other sports betting options, such as soccer betting, betting on cycling remains popular. With a number of major events and an expanding range of events falling under the broad title of ‘cycling’, betting on these events is gaining in popularity.
In this post, we will examine how to bet on cycling. Looking at the major cycling betting events held each year, the markets that you are likely to consider for these events and finally some of the best tips to follow when planning to bet on one of these top cycling events.
What are the major betting events for cycling each year?
The first thing to note when it comes to betting on cycling is that the term cycling now covers a large number of different sporting disciplines.
In the past, cycling or cycling betting tended to focus on the big road races each year, such as the Tour of Britain, the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta Espana or the biggest of them all; the Tour de France.
These events are certainly still very popular for cycling betting enthusiasts but there are now other alternatives you can bet on. Provided of course, that your betting site offers betting on the markets.
For example, there is now an extensive and growing track cycling community, which has World Championships held every year. The same is true for road cycling, but also other less-common disciplines such as cyclo-cross, mountain biking, gravel, BMX and indoor cycling.
Major cycling events held under the jurisdiction of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) include:
- UCI Track World Championships
- UCI Road World Championships
- UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
- UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
- UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
- UCI BMX Racing World Championships
- UCI Gravel World Championships
- UCI Urban Cycling World Championships
- UCI Cycling Esports World Championships
The triple crown of cycling
For cycling purists, there are three major titles that are available for road cycle racing each year and these are the blue-ribbon events of the sports. As such, these are the events that tend to generate most of the betting markets on cycling.
The three events that form the triple-crown are:
- The UCI Road World Championships Road Race
- The Tour de France General Classification
- The Giro d’Italia General Classification
Achieving the triple crown is incredibly difficult. In fact, it has been achieved just four times in history. Three times in men’s cycling (1974, 1987 and 2024) and once in womens (2022).
The cyclists to achieve the feat were:
- Eddy Merckx (Belgium) - 1974
- Stephen Roche (Ireland) - 1987
- Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) - 2024
- Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) - 2022
What are the most popular and commonly-available cycling bets?
The next thing to consider after the different cycling events you can bet on, is which markets are likely to be available for you to place your bets on.
Without doubt, the most common bet in cycling is the simple “To Win Outright” market. This is a bet on the cyclist from the field to win that race (in the General Classification). This is by far the most available bet to make and can usually be found for every cycling race and event a bookmaker will cover.
There is an option to make this bet an each way bet too. By doing this you can guarantee a return by your chosen cyclist finishing in the finishing positions for the race. The number of positions which will pay out for the each way bet depends on the bookmaker but is usually three to four places, depending on the prestige of the race and the number of cyclists competing.
Similar to the Each Way bet, some bookmakers will also offer a bet on a cyclist achieving a podium finish in a race. This is a position inside the top three.
You can find these bets available throughout the year with bookmakers such as bet365 Sport or William Hill. However, when a major cycling event is taking place, bookmakers will often have additional markets available to bet on.
For example, each year when the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia or other big races are taking place, bookmakers can also offer betting on the following markets:
- Which cyclist will win the next stage of the race?
- Which cyclist will be the “King of the Mountains” or win the Mountain Classification?
- Which cyclist will win the Points Classification - win the Time Trials classification?
Additionally, betting companies can also offer different types of bets, such as “Who will win the Tour de France without Tadej Pogacar” or “Who will be the highest placed British rider in the Giro D’Italia?”
Cycling betting tips and strategies
As is the case with most forms of betting, cycling betting is a discipline that requires effort and application to get the most from. With that in mind, here is a list of some simple betting tips and strategies to follow when cycling betting.
Always research your bets.
Even if you are a cycling enthusiast who follows the action of the main events rigorously, putting in research to help inform your bets is always a wise move. This is particularly true in the big road events like the Tour de France, where the different stages can favour the riding style of certain riders in the peloton over others.
Compare the odds for your selections
Many bookmakers will accept cycling bets nowadays and you can use this to your benefit. When you have found an option you want to back, compare the odds on that selection across a variety of bookmakers. By doing this, you can ensure you get the best possible price for your selection.
Use any Each Way options tactically.
While the odds on each way options may not be as appealing as a straight outright winner bet, the flexibility offered by each way betting often makes this a much more viable option. This is especially the case in races where the final outcome is likely to be contested by more than one obvious winner.
By following the simple instructions in this guide, we hope you are now well-equipped to enjoy betting on cycling in the future!
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