2019 Tour de France Odds & Picks: Geraint Thomas Listed as Favorite; Egan Bernal Close Behind

• Chris Froome won three straight Tour De France titles before losing to teammate Geraint Thomas in 2018
• With Froome sidelined by a crash, Thomas is the betting favorite at +200 for the 2019 edition
• Jakob Fuglsang (+500) offers great value, as he won the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2019

The 2019 Tour De France starts Saturday, Jul. 6, and finishes on Sunday, Jul. 28.

With four-time champion Chris Froome out of the picture due to a broken leg sustained in a training crash, the odds to win the Maillot Jaune are as wide-open as they have been in years. Surprise 2018 champion Geraint Thomas is at the top of the list, but not by much.

Odds to win the 2019 Tour De France

*Odds taken 06/26/19

The Opening Salvo

The race kicks off with the Grand Depart from Brussels, a flat, 194.5km stage that goes south to Charleroi and west via Mur de Grammont. After the opening stage makes its way in and out of Brussels, the riders  with 10 stages before a rest day.

Geraint Thomas poised to win another Tour

Thomas has the shortest odds at +200, and justifiably so, as he won the 2018 Tour while outpacing team leader Chris Froome. Froome had won three straight tours to that point,  while Thomas had crashed out of the race in 2017.

“Just before the race I had a big crash. So to come here and to win is really nice for me and the team.”@Eganbernal put in an assured ride on the final day to wrap up #TourDeSuisse victory

— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) June 23, 2019

Thomas had been a support rider for Froome in the past. This was clearly a great role for him as he could be understudy to a true cycling master. After Froome’s crash, Thomas is the undisputed leader for Team Ineos (formerly Team Sky) this time around, but Egan Bernal is waiting in the wings should Thomas show any signs of cracking (a la Froome in 2018).

Bernal could act in a support role for Thomas

Egan Bernal won the Tour de Suisse, which ran June 15th to June 23rd, looking particularly impressive in Stage 7. Thomas was forced to quit the Tour de Suisse after crashing in the finale of Stage 4.

Take a look back at how @Eganbernal pulled off the overall victory at the #TourDeSuisse yesterday with the stage nine highlights ?️ @tds @VelonCC pic.twitter.com/UdyuXnxdXg

— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) June 24, 2019

In addition to the win at the Tour de Suisse, Bernal was 15th overall in his Tour debut in 2018 and was slated to lead Team Ineos at the Giro d’Italia, but broke his collarbone in a training crash of his own a week before the race.

Surprise…officially part of the the Tour team! have been working hard towards this years tour and right now doing the last preparations in the Alps.
I believe that we have a super team for this years tour and I’m… https://t.co/84OqbSoXdn

— Jakob Fuglsang (@jakob_fuglsang) June 26, 2019

Tour De France Winners 2014-2018

Fuglsang is another strong favorite to take home the Yellow Jersey

Jakob Fuglsang (+500) offers great betting value given the season he has had and the fact that he won the Critérium du Dauphiné. That race acts as a great preview for the Tour and if history is any indication, Fuglsang’s win shows that he is ready for the Tour De France.

Thomas won the 2018 Dauphine and the Tour De France, while Froome won both races in 2015 and 2016. Fuglsang won the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2017, but was forced to abandon the Tour that year after a crash on Stage 13.

British rider Adam Yates ranks fourth with +1200 odds and has placed as high as 4th in the Tour De France in 2016. He won the Young Rider classification that year.

The Best Bet

Thomas looks poised to take another Tour based on his start to the season and the fact that he won last year. If Bernal is a team player and backs Thomas (which he says he will), it’s going to be tough for Jakob Fuglsang and the Astana contingent to finish with the Yellow Jersey.

Pick: Geraint Thomas to win the Tour De France (+200)