Tour de France Stage 20 Odds and Betting Preview

PARIS, FRANCE - The final stage of the Tour de France is otherwise known as the `Champs Élysées Stage` and Mark Cavendish is long odds-on with the bookmakers to become the first rider in Tour history to win the historical stage for a second consecutive year.

The best price about the Manx Missile winning Stage 20 is 8/15 (bet £15 to win £8) with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. The price may come as a surprise to some bettors who are used to Cav`s odds being around the even-money mark, but the bookies have finally woken up to his dominance of the sprints. Cavendish took Stage 18 with ridiculous ease, and in doing so confirmed that he is the fastest man on two wheels in the peloton.

Cavendish has twice proved that he does not necessarily require Mark Renshaw`s assistance to win sprints, but before placing a bet you have to consider the risks about not getting a proper run for your money. Djamolidine Abdoujaparov crashed out spectacularly in the Champs Élysées Stage with 100 metres remaining in 1991 to leave his backers feeling devastated, even though he still managed to secure the green jersey.

As for the green jersey this year, Alessandro Petacchi simply has to avoid incident to win the points classification at 1/5 with Paddy Power. A third stage win would be the icing on the cake, but the Italian will simply be focused on a top-six finish. Petacchi is 6/1 with Sky Bet to win in Paris, which may appeal to some as an each-way bet.

Hushovd needs a minor miracle to win green, and is a realistic 33/1 shot with Boylesports to win Stage 20. The Norwegian finished a poor 14th in Bordeaux, meaning that Cavendish is bigger threat to Petacchi in the points race. Cavendish needs to win in Paris and hope that Petacchi finishes out of the first six to make up a 16 point deficit in the current standings.

Edvald Boasson Hagen is fairly easy to look past at 20/1 with Blue Square as Team Sky go back to the drawing board for next year`s Tour. Julian Dean finished a distant second in the Bordeaux sprint to Cavendish, and looks a better wager at 20/1 with Boylesports.

Oscar Freire is out to 33/1 with Blue Square, but he will hope that nasal surgery can revive his form in time for the Vuelta and the World Championships later this year. Robbie McEwen is another potential each-way punt at 33/1 with Paddy Power, who have priced up Germany`s Gerald Ciolek at the same odds. Ciolek will be eager to make up for a woeful Stage 18, in which Milram team-mate Linus Gerdemann made a ridiculous attack for glory.

At bigger odds Fabian Cancellara has been trimmed by the bookies from 175/1 into 150/1 for some inexplicable reason, and Ladbrokes are taking bets on Alexandre Vinokourov at 80/1.

Tour de France Stage 20 betting odds

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