At last, it’s time for the Tour de France. The iconic event is back in its full glory all of July. If you need help picking a Tour de France winner, read this. We’re confident our bet will pay out once the three-week competition ends.
- What: 2023 Tour de France
- Where: France and Spain
- When: July 1 - July 23
2023 Tour De France Preview
Before we preview what awaits in the Tour de France, we must start with the latest cycling betting odds. The following riders have been earmarked as the favorites to win at the top-used online bookies:
| Rider |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Vingegaard | +105 | +105 | +105 |
| Tadej Pogacar | +110 | +110 | +110 |
| Jai Hindley | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Enric Mas Nicolau | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Richard Carapaz | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Ben O'Connor | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| David Gaudu | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
All in all, the Tour de France field includes a whopping 176 riders, who are spread out on 22 teams. The team aspect is what makes this race particularly enticing. You see, not every rider is trying to win. Most are there to do their job — block the wind or other competitors — to help a chosen teammate win instead. As the odds indicated, the “chosen” riders are Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) and Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). These two world-class riders were neck and neck a year ago. Ultimately, Vingegaard won in upset fashion, while Pogacar placed second. It was an upset because Pogacar was a two-time champion in the past.
Vingegaard, Pogacar, and company will duel it out over 21 stages that span 23 days. Yes, there’s all of two rest days. The entire competition will cover 2,125 miles from Spain (the bet begins in Bilbao) to Paris (where it ends). Per usual, this is a mountainous race. But this one might be even more mountainous than usual.
New climbs in the 2023 route include Côte de Vivero (Basque Country), the Col de la Croix Rosier (Massif Central), and the Col du Feu (Alps). In between these steep climbs, there are eight flat stages and only one time trial. Somehow, someway the next Tour de France might be the most grueling one in recent memory.
Best Bets To Win 2023 Tour De France
There’s no way you can look at this competition and say, “I’m only making one bet.” That’s crazy talk, plain and simple. Because of how demanding this event is, injuries and illness are not uncommon. That makes going “all in” on one rider too risky for us. At a minimum, you should be making two bets on a Tour de France winner. That’s how we’re approaching 2023 so allow us to explain our picks:
Favorite Pick
Look, you need to put money on either Vingegaard and Pogacar — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You can’t bet both because the betting odds don’t really allow it (it would eat away at any profits). Each are rightful favorites to win, and as you saw in the betting lines, there’s a clear gap between them on the field. So if you have to pick one, who’s the better bet?
Our money says Vingegaard is the better pick. The Danish cyclist enters this event riding high from winning the Criterium du Dauphine in mid-June. The same can’t be said for Pogacar, who barely returned from a two-month-long injury to his wrist. We have our doubts about Pogacar’s fitness, which is enough to drive us toward betting on Vingegaard.
Darkhorse Pick
Alright, who doesn’t like a “darkhorse” bet? By that, we mean a longshot choice to win in case disaster strikes the “big two” riders. If so, a name to look out for is Frenchman David Gaudu. No local has won the Tour de France since 1985 but we wouldn’t put it past Gaudu to end the drought. Remember, he finished fourth overall a year ago here. At the 2023 Paris-Nice race, he was second overall — behind first-place Pogacar but ahead of third-place Vingegaard. Gaudu is worth putting some money on, especially at his undervalued odds which pay big if an upset strikes.
How To Watch 2023 Tour De France?
The best place to watch the Tour de France is the Peacock app. The NBC-owned streaming service will have wall-to-wall coverage of the entire 21 stages. Seriously, every moment of the competition will be streamed on Peacock whereas TV coverage will be split between NBC and USA Network.
We will say, though, you’ll have to wake early to see the race live. Given the time differences between France and the United States, most of the race takes place in the early hours of US time — think 7 am EST or so to start off (less than ideal for those on the West Coast). Not ideal, but it’s just the nature of this beast.
How To Bet On 2023 Tour De France?
There are more Tour de France bets available beyond just the outright winner. Props (e.g. stage winners) are also on the table, all of which can be found at one of the underneath bookmakers. These sites carry all types of bets for cycling, which makes for daily opportunities instead of waiting three weeks for a winner. See the table below to get started. We’ve included unbiased sportsbook reviews in case you need to decide which bookie deserves your money most.
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