Why Primoz Roglic is the 2020 Tour de France Betting Favourite
Every year the Tour de France attracts more worldwide attention than any other road race in cycling. That’s hardly surprising given extensive TV coverage as riders pass through stunning scenery, although it’s the level of competition on display that gets most viewers invested, glued to their screens with every twist and turn.
The 2020 Tour de France will be no different and the field of competitors this year is exceptional, making for a phenomenal race over each and every one of the 21 gruelling stages, where every ounce of stamina and endurance will count.
Without any shadow of a doubt, 23-year-old Egan Bernal will be looking to defend his title, having become the first South American to win this prestigious even in, alongside his Team Ineos teammate Geraint Thomas, who claimed the title himself in 2018. Likewise, there will be fierce competition from Thibaut Pinot, who will be backed by the home support as he aims to become the first Frenchman since 1985 to win the Tour.
Nevertheless, even with such a strong field of potential candidates with the same objective in mind, there’s one who stands out head and shoulders above everyone else right now, and that’s the Slovenian phenomenon Primoz Roglic, who is firmly positioned at the top of the Tour de France winner odds due to his exceptional form over the last year.
It’s not only the betting stakes in which Roglic is leading right now. Since achieving his magnificent 2019 Vuelta a España victory in September last year, nobody has been able to shift Roglic from top spot in the current UCI World Rankings, having maintained that position for more than 28 consecutive weeks. Although cycling has been interrupted and events rescheduled over recent months, no other cyclist has demonstrated such consistent form.
If the recent Criterium du Dauphine is any indication, after wonderfully timing his attack at Stage 2 to cross the finishing line in first position, there’s little doubt that Roglic is the most in-form rider just ahead of the Tour de France. What’s more, he’s a cyclist who has consistently improved year on year, showing clear signs that he’s hit the form of his life at precisely the right time.
Of course, every stage of the Tour de France will test the stamina and staying power of Roglic, as he seeks to claim the second Grand Tour victory of his increasingly impressive career. However, given that he’s won several of the most illustrious major stage races in the last two years, whilst also being placed amongst the top five riders at many others, Roglic definitely has the credentials to be a worthy winner this year.
Finally, it’s fair to say that as leader of Team Jumbo-Visma this year, Roglic will benefit from the full technical and tactical support of his teammates, who will be working hard to provide encouragement and protection through the toughest stages. They have improved significantly over the last couple of years and while their biggest rivals will be Team Ineos, everything seems to point towards Roglic claiming his team their first-ever Tour de France triumph.