Tour de France

[Smart Punting]

One of the worlds most challenging sporting events is the Tour de France. This year will go down in history as Lance Armstrongs last ever tour and wouldn't it be great to see him go out in style. His biggest hurdle is last years champion Alberto Contador. They were team mateslast year and there was talk of rifts in the team, but now Lance has the team behind him. Nearly all of the team from Astana last year has gone with Armstrong to RadioShack and although the sport celebrates individuals, the team is so so crucial. So with him being the no 1 in this team, dont writeoff the champion. The Shleck brothers are class riders aswell, with Andy Shleck another year older and wiser he could give it a good crack. The same goes for the Brits main yellow jersey hope in Bradley Wiggins, 4th last year and he should also be around the mark.

The big Aussie hope is Cadel Evans, the reigning World Champion. By the odds the bookie have written him off. Last year he was struck by injury, this year new team and should be alot stronger, worth a crack at the odds. The green jersey should be interesting. Obviously the red hot favourite is Mark Cavendish, who is not in the good books of some of the other riders. He won 6 stages last year, but this year their is talk their team is focusing in Michael Rogers for the yellow jersey, so he still may win a few stages, but maybe not do enough for the green jersey. Last years winner Thor Hushovd has his team focused on him and his odds are worth a go. Cavendish is the better sprinter, but too risky at odds on. For the King of the Mountains jersey, backing the favourite who was runner up last year in Egoi Martinez

1.25units - Thor Hushovd Green Jersey winner @ $6 (SB)
1uit - Cadel Evans Podium Finish @ $6 (SB)
0.75unit - Lance Armstrong Yellow Jersey winner @ $11 (S)
0.75unit - Egoi Martinez King of the Mountains @ $9 (S)
0.25unit - Cadel Evans Yellow Jerser winner @ $31 (SB)

[Mop Up]

Stage 2
Difficult stage to assess with a category 3 and 4 climb yet a sprint finish could be on the cards.
If any sprinter is gonna get over the climbs and still have fuel in the tank it will be Oscar friere. Stage is perfect for a breakaway though and seems to suit Leon Sanchez to a tee, also Vinokourov hinted earlier that this stage is a chance for personal glory before slogging away helping contador so ....
$5 Vino @ 26
$5 Sanchez @ 41
$10 Friere @ 8

Also had $10 on Gesink @ 15 for king of Mountain

[Mop Up]

Well what a crazy day of racing yesterday, one of the craziest the tour has seen.

Stage 3
$10 Flecha @ 19

Should get over the 20kms of cobblestones better than most and could go away with it!

[brent-83]

I backed Freire last night to no avail

[Mop Up]

Yeah big Thor Hushovd was bit short at $5 for mine last night, did it with ease in the end though.

As soon as he got through the cobblestones in that lead group he was always winning, did no work and best sprinter by far.

Finally a true sprinters stage tonight, Cavendish the overwhelming favourite and hard to back against him. HTC will deliver him to 200m and from there he's the quickest by a mile.

[brent-83]

Hard to see him losing I agree.

$1.85 for Hushovd to beat Petacchi is not bad value in my eyes aswell.