Tour de France Odds 2022: Tadej Pogacar deserved favourite for Yellow Jersey hat-trick

If the 2020 Tour de France produced one of the most dramatic finishes in cycling history when Tadej Pogacar stunningly usurped Primoz Roglic on the penultimate stage, the 2021 edition captured the imagination due to the pure dominance of the young Slovenian who was breathtakingly brilliant in the successful retention of the Yellow Jersey.

Can anyone puncture the Pogacar juggernaut this time around? Are there any interesting outsiders in the running for a podium finish? Who will claim the Green Jersey in the absence of last year’s winner Mark Cavendish? We’ve scanned the markets and picked out our top three Tour de France bets which can be sculpted into a tasty 11.55/1 treble…

The 2022 showpiece gets underway with a time trial in Denmark on Friday and runs through to Paris on Sunday 24th July, and can be watched live each day on ITV4 and Eurosport.

Tadej Pogacar to win…again

Given the way Pogacar blew away the field last year - leading the way from Stage 8 -  it’s not a surprise to see him installed as the smokin' hot odds-on favourite with bookmakers’ to make it three Tour de France triumphs on the spin. 

It's a feat that’s only been accomplished by a select band of riders  - Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Louison Bobet, and most recently Chris Froome - and at just 23-years-of-age Pogacar looks extremely likely to join the hat-trick party in a few weeks time. 

The course suits him well (five mountain finishes and a couple of time trials), he’s in good nick after winning the Tour de Slovenia, and is supported by an improved UAE Team Emirates team. It will take a combination of bad luck and a truly phenomenal showing from a rival for Pogacar not to be victorious over the course of the next three weeks.

The Jumbo-Vismaduo co-leading duo of Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard will be bidding to crack the Pogacar code and simply can’t be dismissed given that they’ve claimed 2nd-place finishes respectively over the last two years. Both can be backed at 4/1.

Geraint Thomas tipped for third podium finish in last four showings

It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard make up the top-3 come 24th July, but if someone can seriously challenge for a podium finish it’s Geraint Thomas.

The 2018 Tour winner will play a leading role for Ineos Grenadiers who are without the injured Egan Bernal, while Richard Carapaz was preferred for the Giro d'Italia; finishing as runner-up. 

You can simply never rule the resilient and resurgent Thomas out. He may be 36 now but he heads into this year's race in fine form after his victory at the Tour de Suisse - the first British winner to do so. The Welshman is as big as 33/1 (SBK) for Yellow Jersey glory and an each-way price of 22/1 (Paddy Power), but while adding another Tour victory to his CV may be just out of reach, he’s definitely worth a look at 7/2 to finish on the podium for the third time in his last four appearances. 

If you’re after some bigger prices then Frenchman Thibaut Pinot is 25/1 for the second Tour de France podium of his career, whereas four-time winner Chris Froome is out at 80/1 to secure a top-3 finish.

Wout van Aert for Green Jersey glory

There’s no Mark Cavendish this year which means the Brit won’t have the chance to win a historic 35th stage. Next year perhaps. The in-form Fabio Jakobsen has replaced Cavendish in ​​Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl and can be backed at a decent looking 11/2 to win the Green Jersey, albeit in his first Tour de France.

Peter Sagan is available at the same price as the Slovakian bids to win the Points Classification for the eighth time. Jasper Philipsen (7/1), Mads Pedersen (12/1), and possibly even the 28/1 priced Mathieu Van Der Poel - should he accumulate some early points - will all be well worth monitoring, however it’s Wout van Aert who has been installed as the hot 8/11 frontrunner with SBK.

For good reason too. The nature of this year’s versatile and challenging 3,328km course means van Aert will surely be licking his lips given his wide-ranging skillset. The brilliant Belgian has the ability, confidence and experience to claim the Maillot Vert, while he’s fully fit and free of knee pain. He won three stages in the Tour last year, claimed two victories in 2020, one in 2019 - that’s six wins in his first three Tour de France appearances - and will be expected to extend his ever-growing tally this year.

Part of the Jumbo-Visma team which contains Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, it’s worth noting that the 27-year-old will have to play a significant role in supporting his teammates in their pursuit of overall glory, yet this is a team that is fully capable of challenging on multiple fronts and the Green Jersey will be one of them.