Tour De France Betting Sites 2024

Understanding Tour de France Betting

Of course, the king of Tour de France gambling is betting on who will win it all and finish with the yellow jersey. But that’s not the only thing to bet. 21 stages mean there are 21 mini races along with countless other side bets to make, including which cyclists will end up with one of the four jerseys.

Of course, the yellow jersey is the most famous — going to the overall winner of the Tour de France with the lowest cumulative finishing time. The green or points jersey is the sprinter’s jersey — going to a rider who consistently wins points. The polka dots jersey is reserved for the King of the Mountain Stages. Finally the white jersey, while not as prestigious as the other jerseys, goes to the overall fastest racer aged 25 or younger.

It’s not just jerseys you can bet on either. You can take on a prop bet for the different teams, and look at head-to-head battles for specific stages of the Tour. So it’s not just a case of waiting until the final day to see if you win. For cyclist bettors who know their stuff, there are profitable bets to be made daily. And if you really think you’ve got a particular day on lockdown, string up a couple of bets together into a parlay.

Just make sure to check all betting sites regularly to see what the current Tour de France odds are before making a bet online.

Factors to Consider for Betting on the Tour de France

Betting odds for most Tour de France markets don’t open until late as there are just so many factors that can come up during the Tour that can completely change the odds for a stage. Of course, you can usually pick overall jersey winners a few weeks before the start.

However, for specific stage bets, you’ll need to wait until the day of or the day before the stage begins. Though while this might sound like an issue for bettors who like to get all their ducks in a row before the events even start — for experienced Tour de France bettors, this is the only way to bet. This is because when betting on Tour de France stages, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind.

• Stage Length — Is it a 200km+ trek or a 20km time trial? Difference stage lengths means different strategies and different cycling strengths. Most riders in the Tour de France will be well prepared for the long grueling days — but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be suited for the comparatively short sprint of a time trial.
  When looking at a route, its length is one of the most critical factors, along with its type.
• Route Type — There’s a reason why the King of the Mountain will get his own unique jersey, and that’s because different types of routes play to the strengths of different kinds of riders. When looking at a route, you should always check how many hills there are, how steep they are, and how many sharp turns there are. When you see a route that looks a little more choppy, you might want to favor a more agile cyclist over one who is generally faster.
• Weather — One of the big reasons why stage specific markets don’t open till later is the weather. Heavy rain might mean that a favorite like Vingegaard will opt to play it safe and live to fight another day rather than risking a potential crash by trying to win a particularly tricky stage outright. Personally, when it looks like it’s going to pour down, I like to go with younger cyclists who may feel like they have something to prove.
• Team Dynamics — In a sport like cycling where there can only be one winner, it’s sometimes easy to forget the importance of a team. In the Tour de France, eight cyclists will make up a team. But while there may be two or three members who are going for the yellow jerseys, the others tend only to try to win select stages and more regularly will take on the role of domestique — sacrificing their own chances of winning to aid the favorites of their team. These roles can change from stage to stage. So even if a cyclist has good form, keep in mind that he may still sacrifice himself to benefit a more senior member.
• Injuries — In an event as long as the Tour de France, even minor strains can have long-lasting effects. That’s why you should always keep an eye on the health of all cyclists. Injury news during the Tour is pretty scarce unless it’s a significant injury, so don’t expect this sort of information to come by often. But when it does, even if it’s something minor — keep it in mind for all future stages.

Popular Betting Markets for the Tour de France

Most betting markets in the Tour de France can be broken down into one of two categories — overall bets and stage specific bets. Overall betting is probably the easiest type of betting to get accustomed to as these markets usually open pretty early and are affected less by variables. Popular overall bets are:

• Overall Winner/Yellow Jersey Winner — The cyclist who completes the entire Tour in the fastest possible time.
• King of the Mountain Stages/ Red Polka Dot Jersey — King of the Mountain is the rider who reaches the mountain summits the quickest and gains the most points on mountain stages. While traditionally regarded as a secondary prize, the winner of this jersey has gone on to win the yellow jersey in each of the past three years.
• Points Winner/ Green Jersey Winner — The cyclist who accumulates the most points across the Tour.
• White Jersey — Awarded to the cyclist with the fastest cumulative time aged 25 or younger.
• Team Classification — The prize awarded to the fastest team in the Tour.
• Top Three & Top Ten — Instead of needing to win the Tour de France outright, this bet pays out if your chosen cyclist finishes in the top three or top ten.

While overall betting is the easiest type of betting in Tour de France, most experienced bettors will instead make the majority of their winnings from stage specific bets. These types of bets are more challenging for recreational bettors as the lack of information and variety of variables can make it challenging to work out when the cycling betting odds are profitable. But, if you’re the sort to keep track of the Tour from every angle — this sort of betting will be for you. Popular types of stage specific betting are:

• Stage Winner — Betting on the stage winner is pretty straightforward. Look at the route type for that day’s stage, and decide which rider you think will finish first.
• Head to Head — Head to head betting challenges you to pick which cyclist will finish first out of two riders. While traditionally an overall type of bet, this market is getting increasingly more popular for stage specific betting.
• Top Three & Top Ten — Just like its overall variant, instead of picking an overall winner for a stage, you can instead choose only to select them to finish in the top three or ten.

When betting on the Tour de France, don’t be afraid of going against your initial overall winner pick for stage specific bets if the situation calls for it. I’ll be betting on Vingegaard to retain his yellow jersey successfully — but if things look shaky, I’ll gladly take Tadej Pogacar for stage specific bets.

If this is going to be your first time betting on the Tour de France, make some overall bets — though maybe wait till day five to start making stage specific bets so that you can get accustomed to how the different riders perform on different route types.

Tour de France Betting Tips and Strategies

With the Tour de France only coming around once a year, you might be feeling the pressure if it’s your first time betting. Though if that’s you — don’t sweat it. Our team has decades of experience betting on the Tour de France, and we’ve got some tips for making this first Tour a grand success.

• Keep an Eye on the News & Weather — Betting markets for Tour de France open pretty late — so use that time to your advantage. Scan social media for any injury news and try to get a feel for team strategies before the first stage. Once the Tour has begun, keep an eye on the five day forecast for the weather.
• Watch & Learn for the First Few Stages — With the Tour de France having 21 different stages, it can sometimes be better to take a wait & see approach for the first few stages before making any stage specific bets. If it’s your first time betting on the Tour, we recommend you skip stage specific betting till stage six, Tarbes > Cauterets-Cambasque, so you get the chance to see how cyclists perform on each route type.
• Manage Your Bankroll — Just like riding in the Tour de France, the secret to betting the Tour is to pace yourself. The Tour can be unpredictable, so don’t bet too much on any specific bet. Instead, cast your net wide and make several smaller bets. And if you’re still looking for a way to try and win big on one bet, try betting a parlay.
• Shop Around for the Best Cycling Betting Odds — While online betting on the Tour de France used to be a little difficult in the US, in 2024, this is no longer the case. Dozens of legit sportsbooks now allow you to bet on the Tour. Each of these sportsbooks will offer different odds and different bonuses. So we recommend you shop around to score yourself the best odds and bonuses to maximize your winnings.

Recommended Online Sportsbooks for Tour de France Betting

Most US sportsbooks now offer online betting for the Tour de France. However, after going through Tour de France odds and bonuses, we’ve come up with our pick for the five best Tour de France betting sites. For a quick side-by-side comparison, check out the table below.