Cycling Betting Guide - How To Bet On Cycling
Table of contents
- Cycling Overview
- Cycling Betting Markets Guide
- Main Cycling Events To Bet On
- How to Bet On Cycling at LeoVegas
Cycling is a sport where those involved use bicycles to compete over a set distance or in a time trial. The winner is the cyclist who completes the course in the fastest time. Prepare your bets with our cycling betting guide. Find out everything you need to know about the sport and how to bet on cycling here at LeoVegas.
Cycling Overview
As an Olympic sport, cycling is popular all over the world, not just at a professional level, but also by amateurs who enjoy riding their bicycles on flat roads, mountains, BMX tracks and on indoor tracks.
At a professional level, cyclists tend to take part in one type of event or distance. Those who are quick on the bikes feature in sprint races. The cyclists who have impressive endurance will take part in long-distance competitions such as the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, while some showcase their skills on their bikes in special events such as BMX.
The bike used in each type of event can vary. Road bikes tend to be light in frame with thin tyres, while on a BMX track cycling, the tyres and frame are much thicker due to the surface and obstacles involved.
Some cycling fans enjoy placing a bet on some of the major competitions within the sport. Betting on cycling tends to be more popular around major events such as the Grand Tours and the Olympics.
Cycling Betting Markets Guide
There are lots of ways to bet on cycling here at LeoVegas. We offer cycling odds on all the major events in the sport. Our cycling betting guide below explains the main markets you can expect to find on our cycling betting page and what they involve.
Outright Betting (tour winner)
When betting on the outright market in cycling, you are placing a bet on who you think will win the competition. This is the cyclist who finishes the event in the shortest time. Cycling betting odds are offered on all the competitors taking part, with the most likely winners ranked as the favourites, and the outsiders are those who are further down the list with bigger odds. The outcome of this market is based on the official result with the organiser and governing body.
In some events, you place a bet an each-way bet on a selection in the outright market. Place terms vary from one event to another. For you to pick up a return from your each-way bet, you just need your cycling to finish in the placings.
Points
In some cycling tournaments, a points classification takes place. After every round in the competition, points are awarded for winning the stage, finishing second, third and fourth, etc. In this cycling betting market, you are placing a bet on the cyclist you think will win the points classification at the end of the event. Some cyclists have a much better chance of winning the points classification than the general classification, as they target the stages which involve a sprint finish.
King Of The Mountains
The King of the Mountains award goes to the cyclist who performs the best in the mountain stages of a race such as the Tour de France. These stages are often the toughest test for a cyclist, and some competitors relish the challenge. You can bet on the winner of the King of the Mountains in all the major events in the sport. In this market, it is best to look for cyclists who have performed well on mountain stages at previous Grand Tour events.
Match-Ups
Before a major event begins, we will offer match-up betting between two evenly compared competitors. For your bet to win, your selection just needs to finish ahead of the other cyclist in the race. Often the two cyclists will have the same price in the cycling betting, which indicates they have an equal chance of winning the general classification. This is a good way of reducing the field from over 100 to just two competitors.
Top 3
If you place a bet in the top three markets in cycling, your selection needs to finish on the podium at the end of the event. It does not matter if they are first, second or third, your bet will be a winner. The odds on your selection will be shorter than the outright market as you have a much greater chance of winning with the three places in your favour.
Main Cycling Events To Bet On
In cycling, the main events on the calendar are known as the Grand Tours. These tend to involve the biggest names in the sport, as they are the most prestigious competitions to win. Here is a look at some of those events which can be found on the cycling betting page of our site.
Giro d’Italia
The second most important event on the cycling calendar is the Giro d’Italia, also known as the Tour of Italy. The Grand Tour takes place annually between May and June. It dates back to 1909.
The UCI World Tour event takes place over three weeks, and it involves 20 or 21 stages. Although most stages are held in Italy, other neighbouring European countries have also been used. This is the first major event of the year on the cycling calendar for most elite cyclists. The route involved changes every year.
Tour De France
The Tour de France is not just the oldest Grand Tour event in cycling, it is the most prestigious. Cyclists tend to base their training and schedule with this race in mind, so they are in peak condition for the challenges it throws up.
21 stages take place over 23 days between June and July in the Tour De France. The final stage concludes in Paris at the iconic Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Elysees. Like all the Grand Tour events, trophies are handed out for the General Classification (race winner), Points Classification and Mountains Classification (King of the Mountains). When a cyclist retires, their legacy tends to be based on how many Tour de France wins they have. All the leading cyclists in history have had success in the French Grand Tour event.
La Vuelta a España
Spain’s biggest cycling event of the year is the La Vuelta a Espana, also known as the Tour of Spain. It takes place in August and September, and it was first held back in 1935. It is one of the three Grand Tours in the sport. If a cyclist has won the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, this race becomes even more important as it is the last leg of the Triple Crown.
Like the Tour de France, 21 stages take place across 23 days, with just two rest days on the schedule. The winner of the General Classification is the cyclist who completes the 21 stages in the least team.
Tour Of Britain
The biggest annual cycling event in Britain is the Tour of Britain. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour, and it was first held in 2004. This race tends to attract some of the best road cyclists in Europe.
The Tour of Britain features eight stages which take place on consecutive days in September. Some of these include a flat course, full stage, mountain stage and a time trial. The event is described as a category two event by UCI, which is the second-highest classification of a race in the sport.
How To Bet On Cycling At LeoVegas
If you are wondering how to bet on cycling here at LeoVegas, the process could not be easier. The first step to take is to ensure you have a LeoVegas betting account. Simply fill in a short registration form. If you are already a LeoVegas player, just log in with your details to access your account.
The cycling section of our site can be found under the A-Z of sports. You will find all the latest cycling betting markets for upcoming events on this page, including the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Once you have found the selection you want to bet on, click on its cycling betting odds, and it will be added to your bet slip. You can decide to place a single on this selection or, in some cases, you can add more selections to your bet slip to create an accumulator. Your combined odds are calculated for you automatically.
When you are happy with what is inside your bet slip, add the stake you want to bet. We will then display your potential returns, so you know exactly how much you can win if your predictions are successful.
Click ‘place bet’, and we will send you a confirmation message when your bet has been placed, usually within a few seconds. You can find all your open and settled bets in the ‘My account’ section of our site.