Even on the best-known bookmaker sites it can be difficult to find a quality cycling betting section, especially outside of major events and tours, which is surprising given the recent rise in popularity of the sport. Bookmakers don’t always focus on cycling, but if you know where to look, you’ll be able to find all the markets and bets that are out there.
Cycling betting strategy
In order to successfully bet on cycling you need to develop a successful strategy. After all, it is thanks to it that you will be able not to lose your money. The points that should be utilised when developing a strategy when betting on cycling include the following, which include:
| Use intuition | You shouldn’t ignore the concept of using intuition when placing bets, but the power of data used to make high-quality decisions is something you can’t miss. After all, if your intuition isn’t based on long-term success, using data can help you see how successful you can expect to be in the long run. |
| Specialise in one type of cycling | All forms of cycling share the same principle of being faster than everyone else. However, the nature of all betting variations differs significantly from one type of cycling to another. The ability to win gold on the velodrome is virtually incomparable to what it takes to win the Tour de France, apart from some obvious similarities. So it’s unlikely that knowledge gained in one discipline will help you in another. |
| Bet mainly on the three main Tours | Betting on very dark sports can bring some trouble. If you find a treasure in the form of a bet on one of these results, go ahead, but it can be difficult to find such a bet. You want to bet on more significant events because the markets are more liquid and bookmakers pay more attention to such events. Therefore, if you bet on these markets, you are more likely to find good options. |
| Don’t get too carried away with exotic bets | Exotic bets are unusual in nature and cannot be built on a consistent strategy. You can bet on one of these bets from time to time, but you should avoid spending too much money on them in the long run. |
| Never use parlays and accumulative betting on cycling bets | To win a cycling race, a cyclist has to do a lot of things. This is the reason why the odds are always attractive. Therefore, if you place a slot and accumulative bet, you are unlikely to be more successful than the odds you receive. Also, horse racing can take place over several days, so you will have to wait for your bet to be successful. |
| Focus on the best bets for sprinters | These areas of cycling are specific, so knowing which conditions lead to a certain result is easier. If you follow the sport, you can pick out people who are considered dark horses and also have an idea of who is in form and who is interested in these specific areas. |
Types of Cycling bets
Once you have a strategy in place, you should familiarise yourself with the types of cycling bets. They are varied and you should be aware of them. The types of cycling bets include, among others, the following:
- Individual race winner. Betting on the individual winner is the easiest of cycling bets. Simply bet on who you think will win the race;
- Team race winner. Cycling races can be contested by teams. Most fans are mainly interested in who will win the race, but who they are rooting for can determine their competitiveness;
- Race leader. Some cycling races take place over several days or weeks.
Betting platforms for cycling betting
Whilst cycling is not a popular sport with bookmakers, there are some platforms where excellent betting opportunities are available. Popular platforms where cycling betting is available include, among others, the following:
- Bet365. Bet365 is one of the most highly rated bookmakers. So it’s no surprise that they are also the best betting option. If you like to bet on road cycling races or velodrome events, Bet365 can help you do just that. Throughout the road cycling season, which runs from January to October, the bookmaker has prices on almost all World Tour events, as well as some lower profile races, and offers betting on the Grand Tours months in advance. When it comes to cross-country events, there are also regular World Championships, European Championships, Olympic Games and other top-level events. Although Bet365 only offers markets on the race winner in many cycling races, the biggest races also have a larger selection of available markets. For example, the Tour De France stage is likely to offer a stage winner market, several match betting markets and a number of other innovative betting options.
- BetVictor. Another betting site with an excellent reputation with punters, Betvictor also boasts a user-friendly and innovative website and offers an excellent cycling betting service for punters. Like Bet365, Betvictor allows betting on a range of cycling events both on the road and on velodromes. From the Tour de France to the spring classics on the road and from the Olympic Games to the European Championships on the track, Betvictor offers cycling betting enthusiasts everything they need. Most high-priced races simply offer a race winner’s market, but the bigger events often boast a large selection of alternative betting options, and the Grand Tours usually have an ante post outright market available well in advance of the race.
- Unibet. Unibet is one of the largest online bookmakers in Europe, but cycling is certainly not one of their main sports. Unibet includes a market for each of the major multi-day grand tour races, but neglects to include some of the one-day races. Olympic events and World Championships are only offered when they are coming up. By going to the Sports section and finding cycling in the drop-down list of all sports, players are able to familiarise themselves with the markets on offer. From here you select an event and then the market, which, at least for the major tours, includes all the popular classifications: points, mount, young rider, overall and team. You can also bet on the winner of the various stages of the overall tour.
- Paddy Power. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is known for running innovative and lucrative promotions and for hitting the headlines by paying out early in some markets, Paddy Power also offers a very decent cycling betting service. Odds on the Tour de France and the other two grand tours are usually posted by Paddy Power months in advance, while other major road cycling events can also be bet on throughout the season. Betting on track cycling events at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, as well as the World and European Championships, is also usually available.
- Betfair. Betfair is probably best known as a betting exchange, and while it can be used as a simple bookmaker, there are more advanced settings that allow punters to place bets on returns and deposits. However, the breadth of their site is not limited to the cycling markets. They manage to cover the three most watched multi-day grand tours, but there is no indication that they offer markets for road or track events. They offer three markets for each of the three major races. Players can bet on the winner of the prologue – the prologue is an individual time trial race used to determine the winner of a special jersey on the first stage. They can also bet on the overall winner and who finishes in the top three riders using Betfair’s markets.
- William Hill. Players will surely recognise William Hill from their days on the British high street, and they could prove to be one of the best betting options for cycling in the UK. William Hill cover both multi-stage grand tour races and one-day races, as well as track and road world championships. They offer extensive betting markets including betting not only on the winners of races, but also on the winners of classifications and stages, betting on which pair of riders will perform better, and even betting on winnings. They also offer extensive betting markets on the number of finishers or the number of stages won by a particular rider. Even if this is still not enough, William Hill undertake to offer markets or bets not available on their website if you contact them directly. Specifically by using the hashtag #YourOdds on Twitter. William Hill often offer odds at lower levels, but they make up for this with welcome offers and a breadth of markets. Players should also look out for enhanced odds and flash odds, which offer enhanced prices for a limited time.
- Coral Sportsbook. Coral bookmaker, like William Hill, has become a popular online bookmaker for UK customers due to the good reputation they have built up in high street shops. They are also a great option for betting on cycling both online and in-store. They offer betting options for every type of cycling fan, whether they are interested in multi-day grand tours, one-day races or track cycling world championships and Olympic events. So whether you love cycling while standing on your feet in the beautiful European countryside or sitting in a comfy chair in a velodrome, you’ll always find the right events at Coral. The cycling section is also easy to find and is divided into in-play, events, competitions and outrights. The cycling betting markets they offer are quite extensive. They allow punters to bet on events such as race winners, points winners and stage winners. They also have markets that allow punters to bet on specialised areas, for example, you can back the rider who will be the best. They also have betting markets on the number of finishers or the number of stages won by a particular rider.
- Ladbrokes. One of the biggest bookmakers in the UK. With a good reputation on the British high street, Ladbrokes is a good option for betting on cycling.The range of markets they offer doesn’t compare to Coral and William Hill, but they aim to cover the same range of events.They offer both multi-day grand tours and one-day races, as well as Olympic cycling events and the World Track Cycling Championships.Whilst their markets can be improved, they offer more markets than just outright winners.Players can bet on stage winners and which rider will score the most stages.Of course, there are also special jersey bets, and they are known for offering the best streaming service that commits to live streaming when you bet on cycling with Ladbrokes.The platform is constantly innovating, so it may be worth looking out for potential welcome offers, loyalty bonuses or constantly updated customer promotions.As well as regular promotions, they are also constantly improving their app and website, which could help them stand above Coral and William Hill.