Tour De France 2009

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Jack Houghton thinks the seven-time winner is a serious contender for Tour success.

Punting-wise it’s been a successful start to the Tour. Fabian Cancellara obliterated the field when winning the first stage – tipped up here at 1.78 – and the other recommendations are all trading at significantly shorter odds than when advised: Astana has now halved in price; and Lance Armstrong is well placed for a podium finish that would see us collect on both advocated place bets.

Despite a favourable start though, six days in and there’s still a lot to find out. Yes, Cancellara will be the dominant time-trialist throughout. Yes, Cavendish will win every sprint his team is able to deliver him at. And yes, Astana has a depth of talent and superiority over its rivals not seen before in cycling. But the question as to Armstrong’s true role in that team is yet to be properly addressed.

For all the pre-Tour public relations guff that Alberto Contador was Astana’s lead rider – and that Armstrong would be riding as his assistant – there has been an equal amount of backtracking since. After a solid showing in the opening time trial, Armstrong consolidated his position in the Overall Classification on Stage Three when covering a Columbia-driven peloton split that Contador missed. Followed up by a crushing Team Trial performance by Astana, Armstrong now finds himself less than a second from wearing the Yellow Jersey, currently held – for a few hours at least – by Cancellara.

True, Contador is only 19-seconds back in third – an insignificant gap at this stage of the Tour – but nonetheless, the rhetoric has changed. Within a few short days, Armstrong had moved from cap-doffing underling, to suggesting that, given Astana’s strength as a team, they could perhaps support two riders fighting for the Overall Classification. Most recently, after Stage Six finished in Barcelona on Thursday evening, Armstrong suggested that he and Contador will need to sit down and discuss the leadership after the first high mountain stage on Friday. (more…)

Bookie Paddy Power will refund all bets on legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong if the returning hero fails a drugs test in this year’s Tour De France.

Even though Armstrong has ridden under his own cloud of suspicion down the years, the seven time champion is returning to the gruelling Tour looking to restore some of professional cycling’s drug-addled reputation – as well as win a historic eighth yellow jersey.

Armstrong is the 11/2 second favourite to win the Tour De France behind hot favourite Alberto Contador at 11/10. As with many sports Paddy Power has seen a firm split between the head and the heart in the betting. The emotional money has been firmly toward Armstrong whilst Contador, winner of the Tour two years ago and considered the best rider in the world, attracts the serious wagers.

Darren Haines, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: “Lance winning an eighth Tour De France would be the second greatest achievement by an Armstrong after the moon landing so it would be a travesty for cycling and Armstrong himself were he to add to the long list of failed drugs tests in the sport.

“But his backers would also be hard done by to see their punts suffer a puncture having gambled in good faith.”

With Armstrong and Contador riding for the same Astana team they are just 4/9 to top the team classification come the end of the race.

Britain’s Mark Cavendish, seen by many as the best sprinter in the world, is the hot Evens money favourite to win the green sprinters jersey. The world champion is 5/2 to win five or more stages during the Tour whilst its 10/3 he repeats last year’s performance with four stage wins and 9/2 for an unexpected zero. Cavendish, largely due to his lengthy odds to win the Tour at 300/1, is Paddy Power’s worst result in the book with a payout currently in the region of £150,000.

For the other jerseys David Moncoutie is 6/4 favourite to be crowned King of the Mountains, ahead of race favourite Contador at 5/1, whilst Andy Schleck is just 4/9 to win the white jersey for the younger riders. (more…)

The Tour De France takes place from 4th – 26th July.  Paddy Power will refund(to a maximum of £200 per customer/bet) all losing outright bets on Lance Armstrong, if  he is banned during the tour for a failed drug test.

- Applies to outright singles only.
- Applies to win part of each way bets only.
- Paddy Power will refund on Lance Armstrong if he is confirmed as having been disqualified by the ASO.
- Further terms & conditions apply.