2025 Tour de France Odds & Preview
The most grueling event in cycling and perhaps all of sports gets underway on the first weekend of July when 184 competitors line up for the 2025 Tour de France. For the first time in five years the event will live up to its name with the entire 2,076.4 mile race taking place inside the borders of France. Stretched out over 23 days with two days of rest, the race stands out due to its length, the number of challenges the cyclists face and the intensity of being the most prestigious of cycling’s three Grand Tour events. Tour de France odds suggest a two-man battle between defending champion Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The two have combined to win the last five Tour de France races with Pogacar finishing second the two teams he was overtaken by Vingegaard.
Tour de France Preview
As evidenced by the amount of coverage the Tour de France gets, it's obviously the biggest race in cycling. Whether done purposefully or not, the route is broken down into two halves. The first 10 stages consist of flat and hilly stages giving sprinters an advantage. The back half is more treacherous with numerous mountain stages where endurance plays a major role. The 112th edition of the race returns to its traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris after adjustments were made last year to avoid conflict with the Summer Olympics. There are markets for stage winners at most sportsbooks in addition to the general classification winner. Last year Pogacar won Stage 4 to take the overall lead and never trailed, winning five more stages. He finished six minutes, 17 seconds ahead of Vingegaard. In his Tour de France debut Remco Evenepoel finished third.
Tour de France Betting Tips
The way Pogacar and Vingegaard have dominated the Tour de France over the last five years, it’s no wonder they’re positioned as the favorites. Pogacar won in 2020 and 2021 and finished second to Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023. Vingegaard was runner-up in 2021 and again last year. The only rider to sneak into the top two over that span was Primoz Roglic in 2020. Roglic led for 11 stages in the 2020 edition before losing the yellow jacket on the 20th stage. He lost the title to Pogacar by less than a minute. In 2021, 2022 and 2024 Roglic dealt with bad luck having to abandon each race following a crash. As the fifth favorite on the opening odds board there is some value backing Roglic. He is a Grand Tour winner having captured the Vuelta a Espana four times and the Giro d’Italia once. Unfortunately a run of back luck in the Tour de France has prevented him from victory.
Leading up to the Tour de France there were familiar results in the Criterium du Dauphine, an eight-stage race held in France in early June. Pogacar edged out Vingegaard with Florian Lipowitz taking third and Evenepoel finishing fourth. However, with Pogacar and Vingegaard in the prime of their cycling careers and their success in this race, even with varied routes, it’s hard to bet against them. Let’s take a look at the favorites.
3 – He entered two stage races this year and emerged victorious in both. He showed his prowess with three stage wins in the Criterium du Daphine, one sprint and two mountain, finishing 59 seconds ahead of Vingegaard.
Jonas Vingegaard – The biggest threat to steal the title away, Vingegaard knows what it’s like to win this race. He had to withdraw from a race earlier this year due to a concussion from a crash, the second year in a row his preparation for the Tour de France had to be altered. He was denied a three-peat in 2024, but looked up to the challenge at the Dauphine.
Remco Evenepoel – Had a longer than expected offseason recovering from injury and although he’s back racing he hasn’t looked as sharp. He was third in the Tour de France last year but he isn’t the climber that the two favorites are leaving him behind on the odds board. However, another podium remains a possibility.
Primoz Roglic – He is the last rider other than Pogacar and Vingegaard to place among the top two, but his history in France since finishing second in 2020 is not great. He’s abandoned every race and at this point it’s a psychological barrier more than a physical one.
It’s hard to back Pogacar at negative odds, but he’s clearly the best of the bunch proving his worth in nearly every race he enters. Roglic is undervalued due to his recent setbacks in France but has the goods to make things tight if he can stay in the race.
