tour de france winning odds

Vingegaard or Pogačar? Who Do the Betting Markets Favor to Win the Tour de France?

Not much separates the top two GC threats heading into the final week, but Vegas gives a slight edge to one rider over the other.

As this year’s Tour prepares to start its final week, very little continues to separate these two champions. It’s been a historically close TdF so far. Of course, only one will wear the maillot jaune in Paris. So who is favored by those experts in Vegas? Sports betting odds often provide good insight into which riders have the edge. After all, these services stand to lose a lot of money if they get this kind of thing wrong.

Here are the 2023 Tour de France odds for the General Classification (as of Monday, July 17 at 5 p.m. EDT) from three different gambling services.

• Jonas Vingegaard -120
• Tadej Pogačar +100
• Jonas Vingegaard -125

These figures tell us that Vegas gives the edge to the defending Tour champion Vingegaard. But it’s only a very slight advantage. -120 translates to an implied probability of 54.5 percent and -125 translates to an implied probability of 55.6 percent. +100, Pogačar’s odds, translates to an implied probability of 50 percent.

More or less, this competition is a toss up. If you’ve been following the Tour de France this year, these numbers shouldn’t be too surprising.

Vingegaard gained fairly significant time on Pogačar during Stage 5, putting his early advantage at 53 seconds. But Pogačar has little by little been chipping away at Vingegaard’s lead in the yellow jersey competition. Pogačar has gone on the offensive numerous times in the last week plus, and on a few occasions, Vingegaard hasn’t been able to match his accelerations.

Vingegaard now leads Pogačar by just 10 seconds—a number that can shrink or increase over the last six stages between an individual time trial to open the final week on Tuesday and two tough mountain stages.

With the exception of his slip up on Stage 5, Pogačar has appeared to have a bit of a one-up on Vingegaard over the ensuing 10 stages. Yet the betting markets seem to still favor Vingegaard, albeit very slightly.

Bicycling isn’t going to give you gambling advice, nor do we condone gambling. These odds merely give us a look at how those who stand to make a lot of money see this head-to-head battle playing out.

As far as we’re concerned, we’re excited to sit back, relax, and enjoy what should be a thrilling last week of the men’s Tour de France.

Dan is a writer and editor living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and before coming to Runner’s World and Bicycling was an editor at MileSplit. He competed in cross country and track and field collegiately at DeSales University.

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Tour de France

• Giro d’Italia
• Date: July 1st, 2023
• Location: France
• Prize pool: 2,3 million euros
• Winner: Jonas Vingergaard (Jumbo-Visma/NED)

Understanding the Tour de France

The Tour de France is sport cycling’s biggest event . It is part of the three Grand Tours along with the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana and is comparable to the Indianapolis 500 of its motorsport counterpart. As such, Tour de France betting is very popular and Tour de France odds are widely available from the top online sportsbook.

The modern tour typically has 21 stages, one per day over 23 days (two rest days). Tour de France betting odds are available for many of these stages, such as the mass-start stages. These are categorized into “flat”, “hilly” or “mountain” stages. Time bonuses are generally awarded to the first three finishers in 10, six, and four seconds, respectively.

The climb of Alpe d’Huez is also one of the more prestigious mountain stages as it is challenging and inclement weather conditions have forced changes to this part.

The tour is divided into 21 stages:

• 6 flat stages.
• 7 hilly stages.
• 6 mountain stages with 5 summit finishes (La super Planche des Belles Filles, Col du Granon, Alpe d’Huez, Peyragudes, Hautacam).
• 2 individual time trial stages.
• 2 rest days.
• 1 transfer day.

The time trials, which has first implemented in 1934, is also known as the “prologue”. This decides who gets to wear yellow on opening day.

These are usually two to three-time trials. Other notable stages include the Champs-Elysees, which is the final stage of the Tour de France.

Since 1975, this stage typically starts on the outskirts of Paris and is generally a more easygoing part of the race though there have been some hotly contested races here.

Tour de France Stages

TYPE: HILLY |   DATE: SAT 07/01/2023 | START AND FINISH: BILBAO > BILBAO |   DISTANCE: 182KM | RESULT: Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) 4hr 22’49”

TYPE: HILLY |   DATE: SUN 07/02/2023 | START AND FINISH: VITORIA-GASTEIZ > SAINT-SÉBASTIEN |   DISTANCE: 209 KM | RESULT: Victor Lafay (FRA, Cofidis) 4hr 46’39”

TYPE: FLAT |   DATE: MON 07/03/2023 | START AND FINISH: AMOREBIETA-ETXANO > BAYONNE |   DISTANCE: 193.5 KM | RESULT: Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hr 43’15”

TYPE: FLAT |   DATE: TUE 07/04/2023  | START AND FINISH: DAX > NOGARO |   DISTANCE: 182 KM | RESULT: Jasper Philipsen (BEL/ Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hr 25’28”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN |   DATE: WED 07/05/2023 | START AND FINISH: PAU > LARUNS |   DISTANCE: 163 KM | RESULT: Jai Hindley (Bora – Hansgrohe/ GER) 3hr 57’07”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN |   DATE: THU 07/06/2023 | START AND FINISH: TARBES > CAUTERETS-CAMBASQUE |   DISTANCE: 145 KM | RESULT: Tadej Pagacar (UAE Team Emirates) 3hr 54’27”

TYPE: FLAT  |   DATE: FRI 07/07/2023 | START AND FINISH: MONT-DE-MARSAN > BORDEAUX |   DISTANCE: 170 KM | RESULT: Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 3hr 46’28”

TYPE: HILLY   |   DATE: SAT 07/08/2023 | START AND FINISH: LIBOURNE > LIMOGES |   DISTANCE: 201 KM | RESULT: Mads Pedersen (Lidl – Trek/USA) 4hr 12’26”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: SUN 07/09/2023 | START AND FINISH: SAINT-LÉONARD-DE-NOBLAT > PUY DE DÔME |   DISTANCE: 182.5 KM | RESULT: Michael Woods (Premier Tech/ISR) 4hr 19’41”

TYPE: REST DAY   |   DATE: MON 07/10/2023 | START AND FINISH: CLERMONT-FERRAND

TYPE: HILLY |   DATE: TUE 07/11/2023 | START AND FINISH: VULCANIA > ISSOIRE |   DISTANCE: 167.5 KM | RESULT: Pello Bilbao Lopez (Bahrain Victorious/BRN) 3hr 52’34”

TYPE: FLAT  |   DATE: WED 07/12/2023 | START AND FINISH: CLERMONT-FERRAND > MOULINS |   DISTANCE: 180 KM | RESULT: Jasper Philipsen (BEL/ Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hr 01’07”

TYPE: HILLY  |   DATE: THU 07/13/2023 | START AND FINISH: ROANNE > BELLEVILLE-EN-BEAUJOLAIS   |   DISTANCE: 169 KM | RESULT: Ion Azagirre Insausti (Cofidis/FRA) 3hr 51’42”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: FRI 07/14/2023 | START AND FINISH: CHÂTILLON-SUR-CHALARONNE > GRAND COLOMBIER |   DISTANCE: 138 KM | RESULT: Micahl Kwiatkowski (Ineos grenadiers/GBR) 3hr 17’33”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: SAT 07/15/2023 | START AND FINISH: ANNEMASSE > MORZINE LES PORTES DU SOLEIL |   DISTANCE: 152 KM | RESULT: Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Ineos grenadiers/GBR) 3hr 58’45”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: SUN 07/16/2023 | START AND FINISH: LES GETS LES PORTES DU SOLEIL > SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC |   DISTANCE: 179 KM | RESULT: Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious/BRN) 4hr 40’45”

TYPE: REST DAY  |   DATE: MON 07/17/2023   | START AND FINISH: SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC

TYPE: INDIVIDUAL TIME-TRIAL  |   DATE: TUE 07/18/2023 | START AND FINISH: PASSY > COMBLOUX |   DISTANCE: 22.4 KM | RESULT: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma/NED) 00hr 32’36”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: WED 07/19/2023 | START AND FINISH: SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC > COURCHEVEL |   DISTANCE: 166 KM | RESULT: Felix Gall (AG2R Citroen Team/FRA) 4hr 49’08”

TYPE: HILLY  |   DATE: THU 07/20/2023 | START AND FINISH: MOÛTIERS > BOURG-EN-BRESSE |   DISTANCE: 185 KM | RESULT: Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step/BEL) 4hr 06’48”

TYPE:  FLAT  |   DATE: FRI 07/21/2023 | START AND FINISH: MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE > POLIGNY |   DISTANCE: 173 KM | RESULT: Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious/BRN) 3hr 31’02”

TYPE: MOUNTAIN  |   DATE: SAT 07/22/2023 | START AND FINISH: BELFORT > LE MARKSTEIN FELLERING |   DISTANCE: 133.5 KM | RESULT: Tajed Pogacar (Team Emirates/UAE) 3hr 27’18” | RESULT: Tadej Pogacar (Team Emirates/UAE) 3hr 27’18”

TYPE: FLAT  |   DATE: SUN 07/23/2023 | START AND FINISH: SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES > PARIS CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES |   DISTANCE: 115.5 KM | RESULT: Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgohe/GER) 2hr 56’12”

Tour de France Betting Odds

Betting odds for the Tour de France can fluctuate and vary among different gambling services or bookmakers. These odds reflect the perceived likelihood of certain riders winning the General Classification.

Tour de France betting’s simplest form is the outrights. This is where you bet on who wins the Tour de France. This is available for most of the year though it can be taken off the board if any major changes occur. Closer to the race, usually during the week of, more Tour de France betting lines are opened. Choose wisely! 

Team Classification Betting

These cycling betting markets include “Team Classification” which is where you bet on which team will win the Tour de France. Specifically, it is a prize given to the best team as awarded since 1930.

The calculations, as of 2011, are based on:

• The times of the cycling team’s three best riders per stage.
• Time bonuses
• Penalties are ignored. 

Young Rider Classification Betting

Betting on the “Young Rider Classification” is also popular. It is a secondary competition outside of the General Classification and began in 1975.

The leader of this classification wears a white jersey as opposed to the yellow jersey of the general category.

The requirements for this classification have changed through the years but generally refers to cyclists under the age of 26. 

King of the Mountains Betting

The “King of the Mountains” is another award given to the best climbing specialist of the race. In the Tour de France, it is officially known as the Mountains classification. 

Top 10 Betting

Last but not least, a top 10 finish is also a Tour de France betting market. Instead of betting on the outright winner, folks can bet on whether a cyclist will finish within the top-10 of the race. The odds will be much shorter here as there is a better chance of cashing this bet.

Tour de France FAQs

What is the tour de france route, what is the yellow jersey in the tour de france, how do teams work in the tour de france, latest cycling betting news.

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Tour de France 2021 odds, predictions: Proven cycling expert locks in surprising picks, best bets

Sportsline's gene menez correctly predicted the winners of the yellow, green and white jerseys in the 2019 tour de france.

The 2021 Tour de France returns to its traditional spot on the summer calendar on Saturday, June 26, when the iconic cycling race begins its brutal three-week journey through the country with Stage 1 in the Brittany region. Oddsmakers from William Hill Sportsbook list defending champion Tadej Pogacar as the 3-2 betting favorite to win the yellow jersey in the latest 2021 Tour de France odds. Last year's runner-up, Primoz Roglic, is the 2-1 second favorite, while 2018 champion Geraint Thomas is 11-2.

This year's Tour route features a traditional profile, with just three summit finishes, eight stages suited for sprinters and two solo time trials. With so many unknowns entering this year's race, you'll want to see the latest 2021 Tour de France predictions from SportsLine senior writer Gene Menez , who correctly predicted the winners of the yellow, green and white jerseys in the 2019 Tour de France.

A former reporter and associate editor for Sports Illustrated, where he covered an array of sports for almost 14 years, Menez has been obsessed with the Tour de France for more than three decades. He has been following the iconic three-week race since the mid-1980s when Greg LeMond was riding to three yellow jerseys.

Menez has analyzed the Tour de France favorites, route, and top contenders and has picked his top-three finishers for the yellow jersey, as well as the winners of the green jersey (best sprinter), polka dot jersey (best climber) and white jersey (best young rider). He's sharing all of his expert Tour de France 2021 picks only at SportsLine . 

Top 2021 Tour de France Picks

One shocker: We can tell you Menez is fading Pogacar, even though he is the defending champion and the top favorite. A 22-year-old from Slovenia, Pogacar shocked the cycling world last year when he smashed Roglic on the final time trial en route to winning the race in his Tour debut. Pogacar prepared for the 2021 Tour de France by winning the Tour of Slovenia.

However, Pogacar enters the Tour de France 2021 as the hunted and not the hunter. His main rivals will not allow him to get away as easily as he did last year. "I also don't like the fact that he did not win his country's time trial national championship, which could be a sign of vulnerability," Menez told SportsLine.

How to make 2021 Tour de France picks

Menez's pick to win the Tour de France is a rider who "has taken a different approach entering this year's tour." He's also high on a double-digit long shot to win the polka dot jersey. He is sharing all of his 2021 Tour de France picks only on SportsLine .

So which rider wins the Tour de France 2021? Who finishes on the podium? And who captures the green, polka dot and white jerseys? See the 2021 Tour de France odds below and  visit SportsLine to see Menez's detailed Tour de France expert picks, all from the SportsLine senior writer who has been intensely following the sport for more than three decades .

2021 Tour de France favorites, odds, top contenders

Tadej Pogacar 6-4 Primoz Roglic 2-1 Geraint Thomas 11-2 Richard Carapaz 7-1 Richie Porte 20-1 Julian Alaphilippe 25-1 Miguel Angel Lopez 28-1 Rigoberto Uran 33-1 Tao Geoghegan Hart 40-1 Enric Mas 66-1 David Gaudu 66-1 Jack Haig 66-1 Simon Yates 80-1 Michael Woods 80-1 Nairo Quintana 80-1 Wout Van Aert 80-1 Wilco Kelderman 80-1 Jakob Fuglsang 100-1 Wout Poels 100-1 Pello Bilbao 100-1 Emanuel Buchmann 100-1 Steven Kruijswijk 100-1 Mathieu Van Der Poel 100-1

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Britain's track bike for the Paris Olympics pushes technological boundaries and will give the team the best chance of continuing its domination, according to one of the design partners for the new machine officially unveiled on Monday.

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The Boston Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, not that they will get much sympathy from the Miami Heat ahead of the possible closeout game Wednesday night.

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Giro d'Italia 2024 – the comprehensive team guide

T he first Grand Tour of 2024 gets underway on May 4th when the Giro d'Italia begins in Turin. Tadej Pogačar is the main attraction as he makes his Giro debut as part of an attempt to win both the Tour of Italy and Tour de France.

UAE Team Emirates aren't the only outfit to watch, with prime contenders coming from Ineos Grenadiers who will be backing last year's runner-up Geraint Thomas, and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale behind leader Ben O'Connor.

Visma-Lease a Bike come into the race missing Wout van Aert and hoping that Cian Uijtdebroeks can challenge for the GC, and Movistar's newest hire, Nairo Quintana, is chasing stages after separating his collarbone in a crash at the Volta a Catalunya and lacking the form to race for the overall classification.

Other teams will be fully focussed on stage wins or minor classifications like the points, mountains or new Intergiro competition.

Cyclingnews will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia, with live minute-by-minute coverage every day, full stage reports, as well as interviews, breaking news, race analysis, and the latest news and tech from our team around the world and on the ground in Italy.

Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the Giro d'Italia from every stage of the race as it happens and more.  Find out more.

Alpecin-Deceuninck

• Team leader: Kaden Groves
• Objective: Stage wins, points classification
• Riders to watch: Quinten Hermans
• Riders: Kaden Groves, Tobias Bayer, Nicola Conci, Quinten Hermans, Jimmy Janssens, Timo Kielich, Edward Planckaert, Fabio van den Bossche

Kaden Groves leads Alpecin-Deceuninck into the fourth Grand Tour of his career following successes at both the Vuelta a España and Giro d'Italia over the previous two seasons.

Last year, the Australian enjoyed the best season of his career with seven wins, including two stages at the Volta a Catalunya and a victory in Salerno at this race. He'd round off his year with three wins and the points jersey at the Vuelta, confirming his arrival as one of the peloton's top sprinters.

This May, he heads back to Italy facing a sterner test with a far stronger field of sprinters than he faced in Spain, where Filippo Gann was often his closest competitor. He's also endured a slow start to the season, with no victories to date and ninth on stage 5 of the UAE Tour his sole top-10 placing.

Still, he's the main man for the Belgian team in Italy, and there's room to grow into the race with stage 5 looking like the first of five nailed-on sprint days (stages 3 and 4 look a tough ask for all but the hardiest fast men).

With the team's biggest stars Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen focussed on July's Tour de France, Welsford and the rest of his team will enjoy the freedom to get out and fight for stage wins across the three weeks, even if there are no real mountain goats in the squad.

Look out for Quinten Hermans in the hunt for stages. The Belgian hasn't since hit the heights of a 2022 season which saw him podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he took his first win in two years at Itzulia Basque Country and he's strong in the hills.

Expect riders such as Edward Planckaert , Jimmy Janssens , and Tobias Bayer to figure in the lead-out train for Groves as well as heading out into the breakaway to seek their own chances. (DO)

Arkéa-B&B Hotels

• Team leader:  David Dekker
• Objective:  Stage wins
• Riders to watch:  Jenthe Biermans, Ewen Costiou
• Riders:  Jenthe Biermans, Louis Barre, Ewen Costiou, David Dekker, Donavan Grondin, Michel Ries, Alan Riou, Alessandro Verre

The French squad aren't one of the strongest squads in the WorldTour and that – plus their understandable focus on the Tour de France – shows in their Giro d'Italia selection.

The team are without their main stars in Classics man Luca Mozzato, sprinter Arnaud Démare, and hill climber Kévin Vauquelin. Instead, the eight-man squad is a definite 'B team', with Dutchman David Dekker likely their best chance at success.

Dekker has yet to win a race at professional level, though he did come close at the Giro last year, missing out in the stage 2 sprint as Jonathan Milan sped to victory. This year, his best results have been podium spots at the GP Monseré and a stage at the Région Pays de la Loire Tour.

Elsewhere, riders such as Jenthe Biermans and Ewen Costiou have both tasted success this year – at Pays de la Loire and the Route Adélie de Vitré – though neither will be among the first names anybody reaches for when tipping stage winners.

Look out for the team in breakaways, which figure to be their best chance at victory without a top-tier sprinter or climber on board. (DO)

Astana Qazaqstan

• Team leader:  Lorenzo Fortunato
• Objective:  GC top 15, stage wins
• Riders to watch:  Max Kanter
• Riders:  Simone Velasco, Davide Ballerini, Anthon Charmig, Lorenzo Fortunato, Max Kanter, Henok Mulueberhan, Vadim Pronskiy, Christian Scaroni

Climber Lorenzo Fortunato , he of the breakaway Monte Zoncolan victory three years ago, leads a struggling Astana Qazaqstan into the first Grand Tour of the season. The Kazakhstani squad is well down in the UCI rankings and will be desperate to pick up points in order to hang on to their WorldTour status in future.

The Italian represents their best chance at success on the GC and in the mountains here, having twice finished inside the top 16 during his time at Eolo-Kometa. He hasn't had much to shout about this season, barring a top 10 at Tirreno-Adriatico, though he does have GC success at the Vuelta Asturias and Adriatica Ionica Race on his palmarès. One to watch when the road angles upwards.

Fellow new signings for 2024, Davide Ballerini and Max Kanter , will be hoping for glory on flatter ground. The two fastmen won't have Mark Cavendish or Cees Bol to lead out here, but they'll instead hope to replicate recent success at the Tour of Turkey.

On stage 2, albeit among a far weaker sprint field than the Giro's, Ballerini led out Kanter for the German's first win in his new colours and indeed the first win of his career. Could the confidence boost bring him another victory in Italy?

Elsewhere, Italian champion Simone Velasco and fellow former Gazprom-RusVelo man Cristian Scaroni will be leading the team's charge in the breakaways and on hilly ground, though likely not so much in the higher mountains. (DO)

Bahrain Victorious

• Team leader:  Damiano Caruso
• Objective:  GC top 5
• Riders to watch:  Antonio Tiberi, Phil Bauhaus
• Riders:  Antonio Tiberi, Rainer Kepplinger, Phil Bauhaus, Damiano Caruso, Andrea Pasqualon, Wout Poels, Jasha Dimitri Sütterlin, Torstein Træen

As one of the more GC-focussed teams at the race, Bahrain Victorious look to head to Italy with at least a top 5 placing in Rome in their minds. 36-year-old Damiano Caruso , a veteran of 18 Grand Tours will lead the charge once again.

The Sicilian was a career-best second here three years ago and was fourth last time out, though over three minutes away from the last step on the podium. He figures to be the team's best bet for success this May, even if he's getting on in years and has shown very little in the way of form this spring, including at the Tour de Romandie.

Instead, plenty of eyes will be on Antonio Tiberi , the 22-year-old racer still known more for killing the San Marino Minister of Tourism's cat two years ago than anything he's yet achieved on the bike.

That could be slowly changing, however, given Tiberi's increasingly promising performances over the last two seasons. He was 18th at the Vuelta a España last year and took a top 10 in Catalunya in March before finishing third overall at the Tour of the Alps.

Given the swift progress he's been making, a top 15 or even top 10 might not be out of the question for Tiberi, though Caruso is still definitely the man most likely to bring home a major GC result. Wout Poels , sixth at the Tour of the Alps, is in good form, and could also show something, though likely not towards the top of the GC.

Watch out for Phil Bauhaus in the sprints. The German won a tough uphill sprint at Tirreno-Adriatico and has podiums to his name at the Tour Down Under and UAE Tour, too, so he should be in the mix on several flatter stages. (DO)

Bora-Hansgrohe

• Team leaders:  Sam Welsford, Dani Martínez
• Objective:  Stage wins, GC top 5
• Riders to watch:  Florian Lipowitz
• Riders:  Daniel Martinez, Giovanni Aleotti, Jonas Koch, Florian Lipowitz, Ryan Mullen, Maximilian Schachmann, Danny van Poppel, Sam Welsford

With Bora-Hansgrohe's big focus of the season being the Tour de France with new signing Primož Roglič and GC super-domestiques Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov, it's no surprise that the team's Giro squad has a distinctly 'B Team' feel.

Still, Dani Martínez is a capable GC rider who can count a Giro d'Italia top-five finish on his palmarès, and the team can have hopes of a similar result here.

Martínez endured a down year in 2023, even with a Volta ao Algarve overall win coming early in the spring. A second place and two stage wins at the same race this spring has been his finest display in 2024, though his form is a question mark given he hasn't raced since Tirreno-Adriatico six weeks ago.

Florian Lipowitz isn't a rider many would've felt the need to take note of even as recently as a week ago, but the German climber has made a breakthrough at just the right time, racing to fourth and then a very narrow second on the summit finishes at the Tour de Romandie. The 23-year-old is likely to end his third career WorldTour stage race with a podium and is now certainly one to watch on his Grand Tour debut.

Giovanni Aleotti and Max Schachmann will all be on hand for GC support while also being capable of striking out on their own when they get the chance.

Away from the GC battle, Australian sprinter Sam Welsford is the man to watch for Bora-Hansgrohe, with Ryan Mullen on hand as pilot fish. The 28-year-old has been a late bloomer, turning pro just two seasons ago, but has racked up four WorldTour wins since last summer.

The former track star made his Grand Tour debut at last year's Tour and the main objective of his second three-week outing this May will be adding a first Grand Tour stage win to his palmarès. (DO)

• Team leader:  Stefano Oldani
• Riders to watch:  Kenny Elissonde, Stanisław Aniołkowski
• Riders:  Stefano Oldani, Stanisław Aniołkowski, Nicolas Debeaumarche, Kenny Elissonde, Rubén Fernández, Simon Geschke, Benjamin Thomas, Harrison Wood

As is the case with Arkéa-B&B Hotels, it's a stretch to say that Cofidis are among the strongest squads at the Giro. Another French team, their Grand Tour priorities lie elsewhere, as shown in their squad selection.

There are no GC names or top-tier sprinters here. Instead, former stage winner and sole Italian in the lineup, Stefano Oldani , heads up the eight-man team. His only career win to date came at the Giro two years ago, triumphing from a large breakaway in Genoa for Alpecin-Fenix.

He's good in the hills and likes to take his chances in the sprints – at last year's Giro, he was in the break three times and scored five top-10 placings. So Oldani looks to be Cofidis' best bet for success here.

Outside of him, the team will be looking for breakaway chances, with a handful of veteran racers likely to lead the charge. Kenny Elissonde , Simon Geschke , and Rubén Fernández are the men in question, though none of the trio have yet taken a top-10 result in 2024.

Polish rider Stanisław Aniołkowski , newly signed from the defunct Human Powered Health team, is another name to watch. He's a fast finisher and has taken top-five results at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico so far this season. (DO)

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale

• Team leader:  Ben O'Connor
• Objective:  GC podium
• Riders to watch:  Aurélien & Valentin Paret-Peintre
• Riders: Ben O'Connor, Alex Baudin, Aurélien Paret Peintre, Valentin Paret Peintre, Damien Touze, Bastien Tronchon, Andrea Vendrame, Lawrence Warbasse

Ben O'Connor can head into his first Giro d'Italia start since 2020 in high spirits, coming off the back of the best spring campaign of his career and with a first career Grand Tour podium spot well within his sights.

The Australian has a fourth place at the Tour de France on his palmarès but will be hoping to go at least one better this May, and he'll start the Giro full of confidence following a series of impressive results over the past two months.

After starting his season with a big solo win at the Vuelta a Murcia, he took second at the UAE Tour with a Jebel Jais stage win to boot. Recent outings in Italy have seen him finish fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico and second at the Tour of the Alps, and he now heads to Piemonte as the bookies' third favourite.

The 28-year-old will enjoy support from the Paret-Peintre brothers, Aurélien and Valentin , on a team which has already racked up more wins than they did in the entirety of the 2023 season.

Aurélien is responsible for the latest of these, winning the final stage at the Tour of Alps as Valentin finished fourth overall. His fifth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège was another indicator of his strong form, and, aside from O'Connor the brothers will be ones to watch for the French team this May. 

Andrea Vendrame is the team's Italian representative with the 29-year-old always good for one top result per outing. Three years ago he scored a breakaway win in Bagno di Romagna and comes into the Giro with two second places at the Tour de Romandie under his belt – one in a hilly sprint, and another from a summit finish breakaway. (DO)

DSM-Firmenich PostNL

• Team leaders:  Fabio Jakobsen, Romain Bardet
• Objective: Stage wins, points classification, GC top 5
• Riders to watch:  Chris Hamilton, Tobias Lund Andresen
• Riders: Romain Bardet, Tobias Lund Andresen, Christopher Hamilton, Fabio Jakobsen, David max Poole, Timo Roosen, Julius van den Berg, Kevin Vermaerke

Dutch squad DSM-Firmenich PostNL will be among a number of teams heading to the Giro looking to strike a balance between racing for their GC man and racking up sprint stage victories.

For the latter, they'll look to new signing Fabio Jakobsen , the rider they revamped their sprint squad for over the winter as he joined from QuickStep. He'll make his Giro debut with six Grand Tour stage wins plus a Vuelta points jersey to his name, and he'll touch down in Piemonte as one of the top-tier sprint favourites.

Jakobsen has only tasted victory once so far in 2024 as he gets used to his new surroundings. He and his team will be hoping for more in Italy as his rivals there will pose a sterner test than the sprint field at the Tour of Turkey.

On the GC side, Romain Bardet can start his third Giro with renewed confidence after finishing his run-in to the race with a fifth place at the Tour of the Alps and having finished best of the rest behind Pogačar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The 33-year-old is far from a spent force at Grand Tour level, having finished sixth at the Tour de France just two years ago. Among this GC field, a top 10 or even a top 5 should be a realistic goal.

Elsewhere, look out for Chris Hamilton in the breakaways on hilly and mountainous terrain. The Australian likes to get out in long-range moves, picking his days at every Grand Tour he starts and will be aiming for an upgrade on his second place in Bagno di Romagna three years ago.

Second-year pro sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen is another to look out for. The Dane went to the Tour of Turkey as a lead-out man for Jakobsen but instead came away with three stage wins heading into his Grand Tour debut. (DO)

EF Education-EasyPost

• Team leader:  Hugh Carthy
• Objective:  Stage wins, GC top 10
• Riders to watch:  Simon Carr
• Riders:  Hugh Carthy, Alexander Cepeda, Stefan de Bod, Andrey Amador, Simon Carr, Esteban Chaves, Mikkel Honoré, Georg Steinhauser

Hugh Carthy leads the US squad into his seventh Giro as a man looking to recapture the form which saw him finish on the podium at the Vuelta a España four years ago.

The climber had looked on course for a similar result at the Giro in 2021 before fading during the final week and he has an eighth, a ninth, and a DNF to show for his past three outings in Italy.

It's a mountainous Giro, which suits Carthy, though the two time trials will likely see him shed minutes to other contenders. Another top 10 and a stage win – it'd be his first victory in three seasons – would be a great outcome.

Fellow Briton Simon Carr is the member of the squad who has the most to show for his season so far, having opened his season with a long breakaway win at the Trofeo Calvià and having pulled off a similar long-range break triumph in the mountains of the Tour of the Alps.

He'll certainly be off up the road during this, his third Giro, and it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see him add to his breakaway win tally.

South American racers Esteban Chaves and Alexander Cepeda are more than capable of pulling off a result in the hills and mountains, though neither have shown much sign of top form so far in 2024. Chaves' third place on the opening day of the Tour of the Alps is the strongest sign of form from either. (DO)

Groupama-FDJ

• Team leader:  Laurence Pithie
• Riders to watch:  Lewis Askey
• Riders:  Laurence Pithie, Lewis Askey, Cyril Barthe, Clément Davy, Lorenzo Germani, Olivier le Gac, Fabian Lienhard, Enzo Paleni

Yep, it's another French team shorn of their top leaders and a Groupama-FDJ squad missing David Gaudu, Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas, and Lenny Martinez.

The team have opted for a young squad for the Italian Grand Tour, with 21-year-old second-year pro Laurence Pithie heading the lineup after a very impressive spring campaign. The New Zealander has scored 13 top-10 placings this season, including a win at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and a seventh place at his Paris-Roubaix debut.

As such, he's easily Groupama-FDJ's best chance at success at the Giro, even if he hasn't raced since Roubaix. Look out for him in breakaways and also in the sprint finishes, with the hillier finals slightly more to his taste than the pan-flat days.

Elsewhere, Lewis Askey looks the man most likely to challenge for a result. The 22-year-old has been quiet so far in 2024, but took a clutch of top 10s at the Vuelta a España last year and also finished second at Paris-Tours.

Other promising youngsters on the team, including 21-year-old Enzo Paleni and 22-year-old Lorenzo Germani, will likely be given free rein to learn and make breaks where they can. (DO)

Ineos Grenadiers

• Team leader:  Geraint Thomas
• Riders to watch:  Filippo Ganna, Thymen Arensman
• Riders:  Geraint Thomas, Thymen Arensman, Tobias Foss, Filippo Ganna, Jhonatan Narvaez, Magnus Sheffield, Ben Swift, Connor Swift

A year on from a devastating late loss of the maglia rosa in that Monte Lussari time trial, Geraint Thomas returns to the Giro d'Italia as the solid second favourite, behind the flying Tadej Pogačar but clear of the 'best of the rest' including Ben O'Connor, Damiano Caruso, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Romain Bardet, and more.

Once again, Thomas comes to the Giro having shown little in the way of Grand Tour-winning form, though slow – almost anonymous – starts to the season have been his modus operandi for some time now. Last year, he rounded out his Giro preparation with a spring-best 15th overall at the Tour of the Alps before finishing second to Primož Roglič. This time around he finished 13th.

Thomas is on track to challenge for the top placings, then. But how the team can take the fight to Pogačar remains unclear. The Slovenian's long-range solos and aggressive attacking style aren't a particularly good match for Thomas' steadier riding.

Thymen Arensman , sixth here last year, is a capable 'option 1b', though even in a two vs one fight, Pogačar should still be favourite. The Dutchman has looked good this spring, taking fifth at the Volta ao Algarve and sixth at Tirreno-Adriatico, and could be on for another high placing, depending on how much he'll be sacrificing himself for Thomas.

Elsewhere, six-time stage winner Filippo Ganna is impossible to ignore in a Giro with two time trials, even if the first of them concludes with 7km of climbing. Tour of the Alps stage winner Tobias Foss and Classics talents Magnus Sheffield and Jhonatan Narváez are all capable of adding stage wins to the team tally, depending on the freedom they're allowed. (DO)

Intermarché-Wanty

• Team leader:  Biniam Girmay
• Riders to watch:  Madis Mihkels
• Riders:  Biniam Girmay, Lilian Calmejane, Kevin Colleoni, Madis Mihkels, Simone Petilli, Adrien Petit, Dion Smith, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk

It has been two years since Biniam Girmay made history as the first Black African winner of a stage in the Giro d'Italia, and he's coming into this year's race as much less of an unknown.

A winner of a stage of the Tour de Suisse last year and the Surf Coast Classic after the Tour Down Under, Girmay missed out on any victories in his Tour de France debut. The Eritrean returns to the Giro d'Italia with high hopes and a team dedicated to delivering him to a win.

Should Girmay falter, then the team can look to Madis Mihkels . The Estonian has shown signs of form this year with a series of top-10 finishes from the Surf Coast Classic and Paris-Nice to Scheldeprijs and Paris-Roubaix.

Beyond those two riders, there's little else among Intermarché-Wanty's Giro squad to suggest a big result is on the way. The likes of Lilian Calmejane , Kevin Colleoni , and Dion Smith should be visible in the breakaways, though. (LW)

Israel-Premier Tech

• Team leader:  Michael Woods
• Riders to watch:  Simon Clarke, Nick Schultz
• Riders:  Michael Woods, Simon Clarke, Marco Frigo, Hugo Hofstetter, Riley Pickrell, Nadav Raisberg, Nick Schultz, Ethan Vernon

Israel-Premier Tech enjoyed a thrilling Giro d'Italia last year with Derek Gee lighting up the race by going on the attack in seven different stages and finishing second on four of them. Gee might not have won a stage but he was awarded the most combative rider award and earned valuable points toward the team's return to the WorldTour level in 2026.

Their GC hope will be Michael Woods , who last year staged a coup in the Tour de France to win the stage to Puy de Dôme from the breakaway. The Canadian would do well to target the second stage to the Santuario di Oropa and a shot at taking the maglia rosa .

The team will bring back Simon Clarke , a stage winner at both Tour de France and Vuelta a España who also went in several breakaways last year, coming closest on stage 6 when he and Alessandro De Marchi were caught in the final 300 metres. He'll be hoping once again to try and complete the Grand Tour stage win triple.

Nick Schultz , winner of the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, holding off Tadej Pogačar with a late burst to the line, is another rider capable of grabbing a stage win. In Ethan Vernon , winner of a stage in last year's Tour de Romandie, and Hugo Hofstetter , the team also has two men capable of challenging in the sprints. (LW)

Jayco-AlUla

• Team leaders:  Caleb Ewan, Luke Plapp
• Objective:  Stage wins, points classification, GC top 10
• Riders to watch:  Eddie Dunbar
• Riders:  Alessandro de Marchi, Edward Dunbar, Caleb Ewan, Michael Hepburn, Luka Mezgec, Lucas Plapp, Max Walscheid, Filippo Zana

Jayco-AlUla head into the Giro d'Italia with Australian champion Luke Plapp as their overall contender. The Australian champion has only one Grand Tour under his belt, a 95th-place finish at the 2022 Vuelta a España, so he's relatively untested.

He's had a strong spring, though, finishing sixth at Paris-Nice with a second place atop Mont Brouilly to boot, and also took third at the first summit finish at the Tour de Romandie last week. It may be a long shot for Plapp to challenge for the very top GC placings, though his team also enjoy several options for stage wins.

With the return of Caleb Ewan , the team have a formidable sprint presence and the team to back him up with Max Walscheid and Luka Mezgec among those providing the motors. Ewan has never finished a Giro despite five starts and five stage wins, though maybe this year will be his first as the team are sending Dylan Groenewegen and Michael Matthews to the Tour de France.

Expect Alessandro De Marchi to be on the attack, as is his style, after his successful solo breakaway in the Tour of the Alps. Eddie Dunbar , who finished seventh overall in the Giro last year, is the team's second go-to for the GC. However, the Irishman's run-up to the Grand Tour this spring has been somewhat disrupted by injury. (LW)

• Team leader:  Jonathan Milan
• Objective:  Stage wins, points classification, GC top 10
• Riders to watch:  Juan Pedro López
• Riders:  Jonathan Milan, Andrea Bagioli, Simone Consonni, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Daan Hoole, Juan Pedro Lopez, Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns

With the reigning maglia ciclamino added to their squad over the winter and a former maglia rosa holder heading to Piemonte in top form, Lidl-Trek can be confident as they get the first Grand Tour of the season underway.

Sprinter Jonathan Milan will lead the way for the US team this May having burst onto the scene last year with a stage win and four second places en route to the points classification win.

But for his relative lack of positioning experience, the Olympic/world/European track champion would have won even more last May, though this time around he'll have more help in the finals in the form of Simone Consonni , Jasper Stuyven , and Edward Theuns .

A couple of wins and points jerseys across the Volta a Valenciana and Tirreno-Adriatico suggest Milan hasn't lost a step since moving from Bahrain Victorious, and he'll begin the race as a top-tier sprint favourite.

Juan Pedro López enjoyed 10 days in the Giro lead two years ago on the way to a youth classification win and, if he didn't really kick on from that in 2023, he's heading back to Italy with both his first-ever race win and first-ever stage race win in his pocket.

The Spaniard beat the likes of Ben O'Connor, Antonio Tiberi, and Romain Bardet to comfortably conquer the Tour of the Alps to round out his Giro preparation, and he can look to the Giro now with more wins in his sights, and perhaps even a return to the overall top 10 in Rome. (DO)

• Team leader:  Nairo Quintana
• Objective:  Stage wins, GC top 15
• Riders to watch:  Fernando Gaviria, Einer Rubio
• Riders:  Nairo Quintana, Ruben Guerreiro, William Barta, Davide Cimolai, Fernando Gaviria, Lorenzo Milesi, Einer Rubio, Pelayo Sanchez

Movistar have brought back Nairo Quintana this season after the Colombian's disqualification from the Tour de France in 2022 left him teamless last year. They have been hoping that the 34-year-old can fill a gap as GC contender.

However, after his crash in the Volta a Catalunya, Quintana is in no shape to replicate years gone by – including his triumphant May in 2014 – and challenge for the highest GC placings.

Instead, the team will likely have to be content with targeting stage wins. Depending on his shape, Quintana might ride into form to be up there during the strenuous final week, while Fernando Gaviria will battle on the sprint stages. He's another rider battling to recapture his form of the past, having not won a Grand Tour stage in five years.

Einer Rubio is the team's GC dark horse. The last of three Colombians on the team, the climber was the winner of the severely shortened stage 13 to Crans-Montana at last year's Giro on the way to an 11th-place overall finish. He's been relatively quiet this spring, though, barring a couple of summit finish top 10s at the UAE Tour.

Elsewhere, Ruben Guerreiro is a frequent attacker and has the 2020 Giro mountains classification on his palmarès, while Will Barta , who won the final stage of the Volta a la Valenciana with a long solo breakaway, is another one to watch. (LW)

Polti-Kometa

• Team leader:  Matteo Fabbro
• Objective:  Stage wins, minor classifications
• Riders to watch:  Mattia Bais, Davide Bais
• Riders:  Matteo Fabbro, Davide Bais, Mattia Bais, Giovanni Lonardi, Mirco Maestri, Andrea Pietrobon, Davide Piganzoli, Jhonatan Restrepo

Wildcard squad Polti-Kometa are definitely underdogs in the Giro d'Italia and, like all good ProTeams, they'll surely be present in every breakaway attempt to put on a good show for the tifosi .

The team scored a rare wildcard stage win on their first Giro appearance three years ago, with Lorenzo Fortunato delivering the goods from the breakaway on Monte Zoncolan. He's moved on to the ailing Astana Qazastan this season, though, so the team will have to seek success elsewhere.

Matteo Fabbro is his prospective replacement, coming on board from Bora-Hansgrohe. The 29-year-old is a solid climber, though perhaps less talented than Fortunato. Fifth place at the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico is a career highlight, while this year his top results are 10th at O Gran Camiño and 11th at the Tour of the Alps.

Davide Bais scored another stage win for the team at last year's Giro, triumphing from a three-man break on stage 7 at Gran Sasso d'Italia. His older brother Mattia is another man who loves a breakaway and he showed some good form recently with third place at the Giro della Romagna. Mirco Maestri and Tour Colombia stage winner Jhonatan Restrepo are further options for the breaks.

The team have to get lucky again to get into a breakaway that sticks to have a chance at another success like that, and aside from a stage win, they'll undoubtedly be on the hunt for another stint in the mountains jersey like Bais enjoyed last year. (LW)

Soudal-QuickStep

• Team leaders:  Julian Alaphilippe, Tim Merlier
• Objective:  Stage wins, points classification
• Riders to watch:  Mauri Vansevenant
• Riders:  Julian Alaphilippe, Josef Černý, Jan Hirt, Luke Lamperti, Tim Merlier, Pieter Serry, Bert van Lerberghe, Mauri Vansevenant

With Remco Evenepoel fully focussed on the Tour de France (and recovering from a broken collarbone from a crash in Itzulia Basque Country), Soudal-Quickstep start the Giro d'Italia with their eyes on sprints and stage wins.

Tim Merlier has been a huge asset to the team since joining from Alpecin-Deceuninck last year, racking up 18 wins since then. He provided their only spring Classics triumphs this year at Nokere Koerse and Scheldeprijs, and, having not raced a Grand Tour last year, will make his bow for the squad this May.

He's undoubtedly their focus for the sprints and a bid for another maglia ciclamino to go with those won by Paolo Bettini (twice), Mark Cavendish, Fernando Gaviria, and  Elia Viviani. Talented youngster Luke Lamperti will be a key part of Merlier's train.

Julian Alaphilippe has shown glimmers of good form in recent weeks and will lead the charge for stage wins on the hilly stages and in mountain-stage breakaways.

Jan Hirt , sixth here in 2022, is another prospect for the latter and, along with young talent Mauri Vansevenant – who comes off two top-10 finishes at the Ardennes Classics – is the team's best chance at a high GC placing in Rome. (LW)

Tudor Pro Cycling

• Team leaders:  Alberto Dainese, Michael Storer
• Objective:  Stage wins
• Riders to watch: Matteo Trentin, Marius Mayrhofer
• Riders:  Matteo Trentin, Alberto Dainese, Robin Froidevaux, Alexander Kamp, Alexander Krieger, Marius Mayrhofer, Michael Storer, Florian Stork

Tudor Pro Cycling have earned their entry into the Giro d'Italia with a truly competitive team in 2024. Veteran competitor Matteo Trentin is the most experienced in the team and, along with Alberto Dainese and Michael Storer , will be leading the charge for stage victories.

Dainese is a two-time Giro stage winner and also has a Vuelta a España stage on his palmarès. He made the move from DSM over the winter to have more freedom and will be well-supported for the bunch sprints this year. So far in 2024, he has one sprint win, coming at the Région Pays de la Loire Tour.

Another newcomer is Storer, who won two stages and the mountains classification at the 2021 Vuelta. The Australian has racked up top-10 finishes at the UAE Tour and Tour of the Alps and finished second on the hard mountain stage to Borgo Valsugana at the latter race.

Marius Mayrhofer , winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race last year, has several top 10s across races including Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and several stages of Tirreno-Adriatico. He'll have underlined a few of the stages with climbs before a flat finish in his road book, and of course, the always-aggressive Trentin will surely be on the attack on several days. (LW)

UAE Team Emirates

• Team leader:  Tadej Pogačar
• Objective:  Overall victory
• Riders to watch:  Juan Molano
• Riders:  Tadej Pogačar, Rui Oliveira, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Vegard Stake Laengen, Rafał Majka, Juan Sebastian Molano, Domen Novak

If there's one team at the Giro d'Italia with a single obvious goal lying ahead of them, it's UAE Team Emirates, and Tadej Pogačar , who head into the race with the maglia rosa in mind. Given the season Pogačar has enjoyed so far, anything less than overall victory would be a disaster, especially with no Jonas Vingegaard or Primož Roglič around to challenge him. 

Despite the presence of another Tour de France winner on the start line, and with the entire Giro ahead of us, the main questions hanging over Pogačar's head seem to be 'How much can he win by?' and 'Can he conserve his energy to complete the Giro-Tour double in July?'

He's raced a limited schedule of just 10 race days heading to the Grande Partenza in Piemonte, but he's already won seven times, including dominant displays at Strade Bianche (an 81km solo), the Volta a Catalunya (by almost four minutes), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (a 35km solo).

Nothing is set in stone in cycling and anything can happen over the course of three weeks of racing, but UAE Team Emirates have put all their eggs in the Pogačar basket this Giro for a reason. Rafał Majka and Mikkel Bjerg figure to be among his top domestiques.

Elsewhere, there's no sign of a Plan B with the team's squadron of talented GC riders absent from the start list. Juan Sebastian Molano and Rui Oliveira will be the go-to riders for the sprinter-friendly stages, though neither will be top favourites for victories in what is a very strong sprint field. (DO)

VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè

• Team leader:  Domenico Pozzovivo
• Objective:  Stage wins, GC top 10, minor classifications
• Riders to watch:  Giulio Pellizzarri
• Riders:  Domenico Pozzovivo, Luca Covili, Filippo Fiorelli, Martin Marcellusi, Alessio Martinelli, Giulio Pellizzari, Alessandro Tonelli, Enrico Zanoncello

At the grand old age of 41, Domenico Pozzovivo found another lifeline for his career in VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè, joining the team in late February after parting ways with Israel-Premier Tech over the winter.

It's been more than a decade since the Italian won a Grand Tour stage (at the 2012 Giro), but he has 24 Grand Tours in his legs and has been a consistent top-10 finisher, including eighth at the Giro two years ago.

A top-10 finish at the Giro would be a huge result for the team which has raced every Giro but one since the 1990s. If Pozzovivo can stay healthy and avoid crashes, he's certainly capable of such a result, having done so in the recent Giro d'Abruzzo and Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

Other riders capable of winning include Alessandro Tonelli , the only other rider over 30 in the young team, the winner of a stage in the Volta a la Valenciana this year. Enrico Zanoncello is a quick finisher who won the opening stage in Abruzzo.

The team won't be putting pressure on Giulio Pellizzari , but the 20-year-old is a talent on the rise and his eighth place in the Tour of the Alps is a very promising sign for a solid overall finish. (LW)

Visma-Lease A Bike

• Team leaders:  Olav Kooij, Cian Uijtdebroeks
• Objective:  Stage wins, GC top 5
• Riders to watch:  Christophe Laporte, Attila Valter
• Riders:  Christophe Laporte, Edoardo Affini, Koen Bouwman, Robert Gesink, Olav Kooij, Jan Tratnik, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Attila Valter

Visma-Lease a Bike's historic Grand Tour triple in 2023 will be exceedingly difficult to duplicate this time around with no Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard recovering from his Itzulia Basque Country crash.

However, the 'killer bees' will be hoping that Cian Uijtdebroeks can live up to his promise as a GC hopeful that was so heavily touted in Belgium after his Tour de l'Avenir victory in 2022.

The 21-year-old finished eighth overall at last year's Vuelta a España, and so is making his Grand Tour debut following his contentious mid-contract transfer from Bora-Hansgrohe. He hasn't yet shown himself to be competitive against the likes of Tadej Pogačar this spring, his best results being fifth at O Gran Camiño and seventh at Tirreno-Adriatico, so he may have a mental disadvantage in that regard.

Sprinter Olav Kooij will make his Grand Tour debut after racking up 13 wins last year. He won't have Wout van Aert on lead-out duties but will be among the top favourites on the flat stages.

Elsewhere, Jan Tratnik and Attila Valter will be first on hand to provide support to Uijtdebroeks in the mountains, while European champion Christophe Laporte will be on lead-out duties as well as seeking stage wins of his own. (LW)

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Pogačar beats Van der Poel in a dominant win at Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team after crossing the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Tadej Pogačar proved too strong for Mathieu Van der Poel as he won the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling classic with a solo breakaway on Sunday.

Pogačar attacked 35 kilometers (22 miles) out to win cycling’s oldest classic for the second time, after victory in 2021, and made up for last year when he broke his left wrist in a crash.

“I’m happy that I can finally win this race again,” the 25-year-old Slovenian said. “It’s beautiful to finish like this.”

The two-time Tour de France champion waved to the crowd as he approached the finish line well clear. French veteran Romain Bardet finished second and Van der Poel led a mass sprint to the line to finish third.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is one of the five “monuments” in one-day cycling with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Lombardy and Milan-San Remo. Van der Poel won Roubaix two weeks ago but has not won Liège and Lombardy.

Pogačar beat Van der Poel last year to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and they have won six monuments each.

The 254.5-kilometer (157.8-mile) trek, starting and finishing in the eastern Belgian city of Liège in chilly conditions, featured 11 small hills and played to Pogačar’s elite climbing skills. He pulled ahead in a small group with Van der Poel one minute behind.

Van der Poel’s group caught Pogačar with 70 kilometers remaining to form a main peloton. But with Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates setting a fast tempo at the front, Pogačar attacked again and no rival could catch him.

He clocked 6 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds with Bardet 1:39 behind and Van der Poel 2:02 back.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Tour de France Stage 4 Odds, Picks and Predictions

by Dave Friedman in News

Updated Jun 28, 2021 · 1:25 PM PDT

• Stage 4 of the Tour de France (Tuesday, June 29) should come down to a sprint finish
• Inland Brittany hosts the flat, 150.4-kilometre stage
• Can anybody keep Tim Merlier from back-to-back stage wins? Where is the top betting value?

The first three days of this year’s Tour de France have been ugly. While the individual stage results have not been shocking, the number of crashes and riders having to abandon is staggering.

Caleb Ewan was a heavy favorite on Monday, the first sprint stage of this year’s race. However, he crashed in the final stretch, broke his right collarbone, and is out of the event. Tim Merlier took Stage 3 , and is the favorite (+250) when things get going on Tuesday (7:40 am ET).

While Merlier’s first Tour de France stage victory came rather easily as sprints go, part of the decisive win was thanks to the carnage behind him. It is reasonable to think Monday’s runner up Jasper Philipsen, plus veterans like Mark Cavendish, and Peter Sagan could be in the mix in Stage 4.

A short flat course should mean the speed of the speed will prosper. Who will that be? Let’s review the odds and consider some options.

Tour de France Stage 4 Odds

Odds as of June 28th

On paper Stage 3 didn’t look like it was going to be anything more than a typical sprint finish. Indeed a sprint developed, but so much more took place.

Ewan’s departure came after he took Sagan down in a crash. That was one of three spills during the final 10km of racing. Last year’s runner up Primož Roglič finished 1:21 behind Merlier when he was involved in a crash. Earlier in the day Geraint Thomas fell and dislocated his shoulder. In Thomas’s tumble Robert Gesink, a key member of Roglic’s squad, went down and had to abandon the race. Tour favorite and defending champ Tadej Pogačar fell on a downhill with 3.9km remaining and lost time too.

Coming into the Tour de France there was a major question as to who would lead Team Ineos. Formerly known as Team Sky, they have won seven of the last nine Tour’s. Through attrition Richard Carapaz now clearly looks like the guy.

In the GC standings Mathieu van der Poel has an eight second advantage over Julian Alaphilippe with Carapaz and Wout van Aert 31 ticks behind the leader. Wilco Kelderman is in fifth place, and Pogacar is sixth, 38 and 39 seconds off the pace. Thomas is 18th overall, 67 seconds back of van der Poel, and Roglic is in 20th position at this point, 95 seconds back.

Tuesday’s trek between Redon to Fougères has a familiar finish. In 2015 Cavendish held off André Greipel and Sagan on a very similar course. A bunch sprint seems very likely on Tuesday, but we expected a lot more competition on Monday too, and crashes limited the field who battled it out.

Let’s look through some top options for Stage 4.

The Favorite

Merlier was very competitive with Ewan last year at the Tour, and came into this year’s race in terrific form.

Not only did Merlier win a stage at this year’s Giro d’Italia, he took five one day races. With Ewan gone, Merlier should ride confidently on Tuesday, though he may face more fierce competition near the finish line.

Arnaud Démare was involved in a crash on Monday, but seems to have emerged without major problems. He should be in position to make a run in Stage 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHBZ-RhCVPQ

Demare won La Roue Tourangelle, and Boucles de la Mayenne this year. Seven times he has won grand tour stages.

Cavendish was fortunate to stay upright on Monday, and his bike was in rough shape after he was positioned just behind a crash late in Monday’s stage. Because of the traffic he was unable to challenge Merlier, but there is no doubt he’ll be cranked up for Stage 4.

A 30-time Tour de France stage winner, Cavendish is not what he used to be, but he did take four stages at the Tour of Turkey this year.

This is just the third grand tour for Philipsen. The 23-year-old took a stage at the Vuelta a España last year.

Philipsen won two stages at the Tour of Turkey this year, and captured April’s Scheldeprijs.

Sagan may need a less straightforward course at this stage in his career, but the price is tempting. If his health is ok after Monday’s crash, Sagan has won 12 stages of the Tour.

Sagan continues to be in good form. He won the Points Classification at the Giro a couple months back.

Sonny Colbrelli was involved in the incident with Roglic on Monday. He did not feel like he was the instigator, and should be in the mix for a Stage 4 sprint.

A veteran, Colbrelli is having among his best years. He took the Italian National Title this year, and won the Points Classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Romandi.

Dave Friedman has covered professional and college sports for two decades. From ESPN to the Associated Press, Regional Sports Networks, Metro Networks, and many local outlets, he has written about and broadcast major and minor events throughout the country.

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Tour of Romandie win is career-best title for Carlos Rodriguez through rain-slicked final stage

VERNIER, Switzerland — Carlos Rodriguez protected his yellow jersey through a rain-soaked final stage Sunday to win the six-day Tour of Romandie for the biggest race victory of his career.

Four previous winners in the French-speaking region of Switzerland went on to win that season’s Tour de France, including Chris Froome in 2013. Rodriguez placed fifth in cycling’s marquee event last year and won a stage.

Rodriguez started Sunday’s flat stage that looped round the suburbs of Geneva — won in a sprint finish by Dorian Godon — with a seven-second lead he took by placing third in a mountain stage Saturday.

The 23-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider kept that winning margin over runner-up Aleksandr Vlasov, the 2022 Romandie winner. Third-placed Florian Lipowitz was third, trailing Rodriquez by nine seconds.

Godon sealed his second stage win this week, edging Simone Consonni with Dion Smith third.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Rodriguez wins Tour de Romandie as Godon edges final stage

Leysin (Switzerland) (AFP) – Ineos Grenadier rider Carlos Rodriguez won the Tour de Romandie on Sunday as Dorian Godon took the sprint in the fifth and final stage in Vernier, near Geneva.

Issued on: 28/04/2024 - 16:39

It marked a first World Tour stage race victory for the 23-year-old Spaniard who finished seven seconds ahead of Alexandre Vlasov in the general classification.

The Russian was a further two seconds clear of German rookie Florian Lipowitz, his Bora teammate.

Rodriguez took the overall lead when he finished third in Saturday's mountainous 'queen' stage and had little difficulty in maintaining it in the straightforward 150.8km final stage.

He was content to stay in the peloton, surrounded by his Ineos team-mates, including Colombian Egan Bernal.

Rodriguez showed his potential last year by winning a mountain stage of the Tour de France in Morzine and then finishing fifth overall in Paris on his first appearance.

In early form this season, he won the final stage of the Tour of the Basque Country three weeks ago and took second place overall.

Sunday provided a second stage win of the race for French rider Godon (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), who had already won the opener on Wednesday.

"Cycling is all about spirals and confidence," the 27-year-old told L'Equipe. "My team-mates did a great job for me."

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The 150th kentucky derby: odds and analysis of each horse.

• NBC Sports Staff ,
• NBC Sports Staff

The 150th Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, is Saturday. Coverage begins on NBC and Peacock at 2:30P ET.

Despite being the odds-on favorite, Fierceness (5-2) will have to defy the odds to claim victory as the Todd Pletcher-trained horse will start from Gate 17. No horse has ever won the Derby from that post and only three in the history of the race have ever started from post No. 17 and finished in the money.

The Florida Derby winner will look to claim the majority of the record 5-million-dollar purse but will have a full field with whom to contend.

Sierra Leone (3-1), Catching Freedom (8-1), Forever Young (10-1), and Just a Touch (10-1) are the other primary contenders for the Derby crown.

Looking to place a wager on the Kentucky Derby? Note the quick synopsis of each horse along with highlights from his biggest race and an analysis of his chances in the Derby courtesy of NBC Sports’ horse racing analyst, Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper).

Post-time for the 2024 Kentucky Derby is approximately 6:45P ET on Saturday. Enjoy the race and a couple of sweats.