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Tour de France 2012: stages, preview, predictions, odds and betting tips |
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Thursday, 28 June 2012 |
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The Tour de France kicks off June 30 and continues through to Sunday 22 July. Some big names have skipped the Tour to prepare for the Olympics — the road race there occurs just six days after the Tour ends. Furthermore, Alberto Contador is serving a doping suspension while Andy Schleck is out with an injury. Will Evans, who last year became the first Australian to win the Tour, do it again? Find here our preview, best odds and free predictions.
TOUR DE FRANCE 2012: TOP CONTENDERSCadel Evans (BMC)
Evans is not only the defending champion, but also the only previous winner of the race in the field. He had an early hiccup this year with some illness in May, but showed that he was building form nicely with a strong result in the Criterium du Dauphine. His BMC team is strong, though, and he is the unquestioned leader, so he’ll have all of the support that he needs.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
Wiggins is a hot favorite for this year's TT-intensive Tour. He is in career best form winning both Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine this year. He has finished as high as fourth in the Tour in the past, so he has experience and after crashing early in last year's race, the Brit will be highly motivated this year.
Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale)
Nibali knows how to win a Grand Tour, having previously won the Vuelta. Normally he Targets the Giro, and then supports Ivan Basso in the Tour but this year the roles have been reversed. Nibali has had a good start to the year, 2nd in Oman and won the Tirenno-Adriatico. He has also done well in the classics. He is a fairly good TT which as we know is imperative in this Tour. He is a great descender as well and is an explosive attacker.
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda)
Fresh off overall victory at the Giro d'Italia, the tall Canadian is coming to the Tour with newfound confidence and the best form of his life. He is sound in the time trials, though not at the level of Wiggins. He’s also sound in the mountains. His Garmin team supported him brilliantly at the Giro, and he will be their leader again. He has proven he has the all-round game but fatigue could catch up with him in the Tour.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
Last year's King of the Mountains winner. His form has been good this year but he is coming into this suffering from a bad fall in the Dauphine. His attacking style, world-class descending ability, fast sprint and powerful time trialing make him a contender at every race he enters but this year's Tour may be slightly out of his reach.
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Robert Gesink (Rabobank)
He is a top climber and he has improved his Time Trial skills but will nonetheless have to be aggressive in the mountains. He won the Tour of California being excellent in TT and he did a very good Tour of Swisse as well. However, the Dutchman has yet to stand on the podium of a grand tour but this year we could expect him to be standing on the podium in Paris.
Denis Menchov (Katusha)
The 34-year-old Menchov is always a contender in long races, as he has won two Vuelta de Espana's (2005, 2007) and one Giro d'Italia (2009). He also finished second overall at the Tour de France in 2010. Problem is he has shown nothing in 2012 so it is hard to gauge his form if any and his price continues to drift.
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
Valverde doesn’t look to have the form. Anyway, he could be well suited by a few of the stages.
Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan)
Without little brother Andy by his side, Schleck the elder will be heading into the Tour as RadioShack-Nissan's overall leader. Schleck hasn’t the TT and climbing ability to compete.
Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)
He’s the reigning World Time Trial champion, so the format of this race clearly suits him. This year's Tour features three individual time trials including the prologue, meaning they'll be in the spotlight throughout the race. He can also climb well, and should be well supported by his team. The biggest factor working against him could be that teammate Levi Leipheimer could also be a serious contender.
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol)
Cadel's old team-mate at OmegaPharma-Lotto, he is finally showing the form that his team directors knew he had. He has improved his TT considerably and was climbing very well in the Dauphine, where he finished 5th. VDB is passable time trialist and could contend for the top ten.
TOUR DE FRANCE 2012: BEST ODDS
- B.Wiggins @ 2.65
- C.Evans @ 3.25
- D.Menchov @ 25.00
- V.Nibali @ 27.00
- J.Van Den Broeck @ 26.00
- R.Gesink @ 34.00
- S.Sanchez @ 36.00
- F.Schleck @ 41.00
- R.Hesjedal @ 51.00
- P.Rolland @ 51.00
- J.Brajkovic @ 81.00
- T.Martin @ 81.00
- L.Leipheimer @ 81.00
TOUR DE FRANCE 2012: RECOMMENDED BETS AND PREDICTIONSWinner: Bradley Wiggins @ 2.65
Top 3: Vincenzo Nibali @ 5.50
Top 5: Tony Martin @ 6.50
Green Jersey: Peter Sagan @ 1.91
King of The Mountains: Pierre Rolland @ 21.00
Young Rider Classification: Rein Taaramae @ 5.50
Prologue: Bradley Wiggins @ 6.00
Winning margin: Between 61 and 90 seconds @ 2.70
TOUR DE FRANCE 2012: STAGES
- Prologue: Saturday, June 30 - Liege to Liege (6.4-kilometres)
- Stage 1: Sunday, July 1 - Liege to Seraing (198km)
- Stage 2: Monday, July 2 - Vise to Tournai (207.5km)
- Stage 3: Tuesday, July 3 - Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer (197km)
- Stage 4: Wednesday, July 4 - Abbeville to Rouen (214.5km)
- Stage 5: Thursday, July 5 - Rouen to Saint-Quentin (196.5km)
- Stage 6: Friday, July 6 - Epernay to Metz (207.5km)
- Stage 7: Saturday, July 7 - Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles (199km)
- Stage 8: Sunday, July 8 - Belfort to Porrentruy (157.5km)
- Stage 9: Monday, July 9 - Arc-et-Senans to Besancon (41.5km individual time-trial)
- Rest day: Tuesday, July 10
- Stage 10: Wednesday, July 11 - Macon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine (194.5km)
- Stage 11: Thursday, July 12 - Albertville to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles (148km)
- Stage 12: Friday, July 13 - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davezieux (226km)
- Stage 13: Saturday, July 14 - Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Le Cap d'Agde (217km)
- Stage 14: Sunday, July 15 - Limoux to Foix (191km)
- Stage 15: Monday, July 16 - Samatan to Pau (158.5km)
- Rest day: Tuesday, July 17
- Stage 16: Wednesday, July 18- Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon (197km)
- Stage 17: Thursday, July 19 - Bagneres-de-Luchon to Peyragudes (143.5km)
- Stage 18: Friday, July 20 -Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde (222.5km)
- Stage 19: Saturday, July 21 - Bonneval to Chartres (53.5km, individual time-trial)
- Stage 20: Sunday, July 22 - Rambouillet to Paris Champs-Elysees (120km)
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
Tour De France 2012 stage by stage winner predictions and betting promotions
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