Midway through 2024, anticipation mounts for the Tour de France. The 111th time around, this coveted bike race, scheduled for late June to mid-July, sparks buzz about potential champions. But who could they be?
Jonas Vingegaard
Demark’s champion, Jonas Vingegaard, got the 2023 Tour de France win. And it can be argued that top online sports betting platforms have noted this because he’s been installed as the odds-on favourite for the 2024 Tour de France. In addition to this, he also clinched victory in 2022. These feats certainly add to his appeal, as he seems to have found a winning strategy for this arduous race.
Tadej Pogacar
Prior to Vingegaard’s Tour de France back-to-back wins, Tadej Pogacar pulled off the same trick elsewhere, as he was successful in 2020 and 2021 with the UAE Team Emirates. Pogacar certainly knows what it takes to win. It’s no shock that he’s seen as Vingegaard’s likely adversary for the trophy. This is further validated by the fact that Pogacar was runner-up during Vingegaard’s winning years.
Primoz Roglic
Primoz Roglic, like Pogacar, is a Slovenian cyclist who is expected to be there or thereabouts at the Tour de France this summer. It’s often a learning curve for riders and their teams, but tweaks here and there, however small, can make a significant impact. Roglic is third in the betting, and hearing that his team will steadily bring him along so that he’s at the boil in the summer will be music to many people’s ears. If they time it right and preparation goes as planned, he could be one to watch. He is the former world number one, after all.
Remco Evenepoel
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel is a young man on a mission this year. At twenty-four, there’s already a lot of hype surrounding UCI WorldTeam Soudal-Quick-Step rider, and he’s looking to convert that hype into success on the biggest of stages. You could suggest that Evenepoel has his doubters, but whether their doubts at this stage are fair is another question. He’s held to such a high standard that everything he does is scrutinised in detail. It makes 2024 another huge year for Evenpoel in that respect, and what way would be better to silence the doubters than by winning the Tour de France?
The Tour de France isn’t a four-man race; it never is, but the four riders mentioned above are without doubt expected to be in the mix to lift the trophy and walk away with the prize money. They’re also the four favourites where the betting is concerned, but everything could change in the run-up to June.
