The first thing to say is that, although bicycle sport is a sport where in each stage all the cyclists go out to compete and only one wins, in such a betting it doesn’t matter. If we could only gamble on the stage winner in each race, it would be boring and unprofitable to play. However, there are many ways to place stakes on cycling and each of them needs a totally different strategy to use.
There are two main directions of bicycle stakes: classic races and both Olympic Games and Let’s look through each of them.
Betting on classic bicycle races
As a rule, this bicycle direction consists of many one-day races not similar to the stages of the grand tours, indeed. Classic cycling competitions are long-distance and always take the same route.
The most important ones are usually held in spring and have a special attraction for bicycle sport fans.
Each of them has its own special characteristics, but practically all of them are highly spectacular.
It’s notable that such events are considered to be prestigious, thus many bicyclists prepare for them using special training programs and strategies not valid for the other biking stages of the grand tours. They usually serve as a platform for the competition among the best athletes, sportsmen are not obliged to pass the general classification and there is no next day, this fact reduces the number of favorites.
To be successful in bicycle betting here you should analyze the type of cyclists who usually win the classics and choose the best of them by physical shape, the number of skills, motivation, etc.
World Cup and Olympic Games: to bet on bicycle sport
These competitions differ from classic bicycle ones, at least by the presence of selections.
In addition, the routes of such events change every year or every four years (in the case of the Olympic Games), so that it’s difficult to predict whether the ground will be flat or hilly.
Therefore the races are more unpredictable than others. Almost always many surprises occur.
In these competitions there are also time trials, which actually are more suitable to gamble on. Here it’s better to place a higher bet as the outcome is easier to predict.
The main types of bicycle bets
Of course, lot’s of stakes may be found, but there are some similarities among them. You can gamble on:
- Winner of the bicycle race
- Stage winner
- Secondary classification winners
- Head-to-head
- Special bets
“Winner of the bicycle race” is the most common stake in road cycling. Depending on the participants and the course, bookmakers establish a list of all the possible winners ( top cyclists or absolute underdogs).
“Stage winner” involves predicting the partial winner on a mountain, mid-mountain, flat or time trial course. It’s possible to gamble only in the stage competitions.
Such stakes are usually complicated, because in flat stages there are usually two or three favorites with low odds and with a more limited margin, and in mid-mountain courses it’s difficult to predict the leader because of the wide range of potential winners.
In many mid-mountain stages there is a large breakaway of riders who reach the finish line and compete for the victory. For this reason, the route and the list of possible favorites must be analyzed in advance.
“Winners of secondary classifications” stake is about gambling on who will win the points classifications or who will be the best rider or climber.
Here it’s necessary to know the context of the race and the main athletes competing before placing a bet. By the way, live mode gambling is available.
“Head-to-head” bet is aimed to predict who will achieve the better result between two cyclists at the end of a stage or the whole race.
It’s about a comparison between two favorite sportsmen.
Special bets are created by exact bookmakers. Most of them touch on a certain race and the cyclists taking part in it.
Bicycle sport particularities, which can influence the result of the bet
If this is your first time betting on bicycle disciplines, you should first of all know the difference between the types of races in terms of terrain (among the mountain stages, sprint stages and so on) and be aware that almost every athlete has a strict specialization.
Within a multi-day race, athletes have distinct strengths and weaknesses, so they have to focus on a single race classification, therefore no wonder that only three cyclists in history have won all three major classifications of the big bicycle competition.
Any bettor has to pay attention to the team performance of the rider, because road cycling is indeed a team sport, and even famous athletes can’t get through without good co-participants. It’s interesting that in the area the sacrifice in favor of the team result is generally accepted.
In this regard, some strong topdogs, who are highly represented in bookmakers’ offers may actually have less chances to win in a particular stage than their opponents from another team.
In the sprint stages, the overall strength of the team also matters, because the challenger still needs help to get to the finish line. On the contrary, in the time races, fatigue and a load of rough work can greatly affect the chances of the athlete.
Actually it’s easier to be on top in multi-day races, but if you want to gamble on a one-day race, make sure of the health shape of your favorite in advance. Even a small cold can seriously affect his or her chances, not to mention injuries.
Striking the balance: betting on bicycle sport
Bicycle sport is a good area to bet on. The variety of disciplines influence the number of stakes’ types and bookmakers’ offers. No doubt that before gambling it’s necessary to find out the features of the sport, the disciplines, the bets and the main strategies to gain. There is nothing difficult – some effort and belief in victory. Just bet and win.