Tour de France Stage 18 Odds and Betting Preview

SALIES-DE-BÉARN, FRANCE - In terms of the betting events, the Pyrenees were certainly entertaining. Carlos Barredo went long odds-on in running as he made a dash for Pau, only to get reeled in by Pierrick Federigo. Meanwhile the Col de Tourmalet witnessed an epic battle between the two market leaders for Stage 17, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck. Cycling pundits were all to eager to criticise Schleck for not counter-attacking Contador`s move, but punters who backed the Saxo Bank rider to win the stage at 11/4 will not be too concerned about race tactics.

Stage 18, an easy 198km ride from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux, is one for the sprinters. Team Radioshack will hope to wrap up the team classification by Bordeaux, but the final remaining classement to settle is the points classification for the green jersey.

Thor Hushovd is currently wearing green, although he is only four points ahead of Alessandro Petacchi. Hushovd took Stage 3 in Arenberg, even though most of the donkey work on that day was done by Fabian Cancellara. The Norwegian is by no means the best sprinter in the peloton, as Cavendish has since won three stages with consummate ease.

Mark Cavendish head the Stage 18 betting at 10/11 (bet £11 to win £10 profit) with Paddy Power, which gives him a 52.4 per cent chance of winning. The Manx Missile will be without his lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, but he proved with a second place behind Alexandre Vinokourov in Stage 13 that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Even at 10/11 he looks a solid bet for a fourth stage victory, and should he win, his backers can re-invest their winnings on him in Paris on Sunday. William Hill go just 8/13.

Petacchi is next in the betting at 5/1 with Blue Square and Stan James, but he will be keen just to finish in front of Hushovd in Bordeaux. Cavendish can only win a maximum of 35 points in Bordeaux and Paris, so all Petacchi needs to do is to avoid calamity. Easier said than done, and that is the risk about backing the Italian at 4/7 with Boylesports to win the points classification.

Thor Hushovd is 20/1 with Sky Bet to win Stage 18, but in all fairness he should be about 33/1 given what he has shown in the bunch sprints this year. He will finish in the top ten though.

28/1 Robbie McEwen, 33/1 Jose Joaquin Rojas, 75/1 Sébastien Turgot all make limited appeal as each-way bets for Bordeaux, but realistically none of them are riding in the same league as Cavendish.

Edvald Boasson Hagen is 20/1 with Paddy Power, but looks set to leave the 2010 Tour de France empty handed. Gerald Ciolek is into 25/1 from 33/1 with Blue Square after attracting some solid each-way money.

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