Cycling is a low-impact aerobic exercise shown to positively affect cardiovascular health, sleep quality, and mental outlook. It is a recreational activity and a sport that is gentle on the joints. And as you already know, betting or staking anything of value on the result of an event in anticipation of a win is gambling. Sometimes these two activities overlap.
For instance, practitioners in the UK gambling industry significantly increase their commercial offers to sports brands to reach a broader audience. Many fans in turn wager on these gambling platforms, which can be risky without proper safety measures. This is where helmets and other safety equipment come into play. Additionally, advancements in technology have improved the performance of various sports equipment, including wheels for bikes and other modes of transportation. According to iGaming expert Aleksandra Andrishak, there’s something remarkable about having such faith in a team or athlete that you’re willing to put money on them to win, but it’s important to prioritize safety and use proper equipment.
Millions of fans from all around the globe tune in to witness the main cycling championships in France, Spain, and Italy. It is among the top five most-watched sports in the world. It is also a popular sport to gamble on, especially during the world cycling championships, such as the Tour de France, La Vuelta, and the Giro d’Italia. Enough talk, it is time to explore both worlds!
Parallels Between the World of Cycling and the World of Online Gambling
Cycling, sometimes called biking, is an outdoor activity that connects you with new people, increases your cardiovascular fitness, and challenges your muscular strength. Because it can be completed quickly, with little effort, and at a low cost, it is within reach of people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, just like gambling.
Similarly, gambling is a thrilling pastime that people of all ages have enjoyed for millennia. It may be done face-to-face at physical gaming establishments or at legitimate online casinos reviewed by Slots Judge. As individuals try their luck to win huge prizes and real money, there is also an opportunity to meet new people and engage in a fascinating challenge.
Ultimately, the thrill of gambling at a casino and the freedom of cycling along a pavement are quite similar. Another nexus that connects cycling and online gambling is gambling itself. As cyclists participate in world cycling championships, the stakes are usually high with regard to their health and endurance, and people also bet on specific cyclists to win a stage or round. Millions of people love wagering on cycling since the sport is simple to grasp, and there are several wagering opportunities.
Cycling and gambling are two exciting pastimes that go together, like ketchup and fries. There is nothing like the surge of excitement you receive when racing down an adventurous road with your cycling partners or placing a wager on a high-stakes casino game with your buddies to get your blood pumping. So when next you’re unsure which activity to do for fun, strap on a helmet to your head and money to your hands and explore both worlds. You sure can’t be a loser at both!
Tour de France Betting Opportunities & Casinos Offering Odds
Given that the Tour de France is the world’s second-most-watched athletic event on live television (after the FIFA World Cup), it’s no surprise that punters across the globe bet on the event.
On July 1–23, 2023, the world’s most significant bike event, the Tour de France, will take place for the 110th time. The Grand Départ and the first three stages of the event will occur in Basque Country, bordering Spain. After 21 phases and two rest days, the race will end in the French capital. No other event compares in popularity to the Tour de France in professional cycling. The race also attracts the most wagers. Let’s get into the betting opportunities.
2023 Tour de France Betting Markets
The Tour de France is one of the three Grand Cycling Tours that occur every year, and here are some of its betting specialties.
- Race Winner: The outright winner (who wears a yellow jersey at the end of the race) is not a complicated bet to make. You just have to choose who you think will race through the traffic of cycling partners and cross the finish line first at the Tour de France.
- Stage Winner: The Tour de France event comprises a group of 21 stages, each with a prospective winner. Hence there are 21 opportunities for you to cash out. It doesn’t necessarily matter how much knowledge you have about these athletes since each phase is different, giving every kind of rider a chance to win and every type of bettor an opportunity to cash out.
- Points Winner: Each stage’s top 15 finishers get points, with the first rider earning the most and the following 14 riders earning progressively fewer points. To win the most points and wear the Green Jersey, a cyclist must amass the most points at the end of each stage and in the intermediate sprints.
- Head-to-Head: In this market, you wager on the odds for the winner of the Tour de France by picking two riders to face off against one another in a “head-to-head” matchup. This is often a wager on the whole tournament. However, the stage-specific head-to-head odds are available too.
- Climber’s Classification: These odds are for whoever finishes on top of the mountain or in the King of the Mountains sections the most often, earning them the Climber’s or Polka Dot prize. This bet occasionally includes the overall champion as well. The Tour de France’s best climber classification winner receives the Leclerc prize.
Casinos Offering Odds Ranked by Slots Judge
The following casinos have been reviewed by Slot Judge, and their offers for Tour de France have been vetted as legit and reliable.
- Hell Spin
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- Spin Samurai
- Vulkan Vegas
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Last Seven Tour de France Winners and their Professional Cycling Team Sponsors
Here are the overall Tour de France winners from the previous seven years:
- 2022: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo –Visma)
- 2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
- 2020: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
- 2019: Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)
- 2018: Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
- 2017: Chris Froome (Team Sky)
- 2016: Chris Froome (Team Sky)
There are a lot of parallels between cycling and gambling. To succeed at either, you need talent, focus, and persistence. Those who want to become a skilled biker and explore the thrill of the open road should invest in quality gear and seek out the best paths. However, they should beware of the danger in both- crashing on a bicycle and developing a gambling addiction.