An At A Glance Guide to the Tour de France 2020
The upcoming Tour de France will be the most prominent cycling event of 2020. In this article, Peter Watton, from matched betting experts OddsMonkey, looks at what to expect from the race and who may be in line to win the title.
Despite a huge delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s top cycling race the Tour de France is set to take place at the end of this month and into September. If you count yourself among the many fans of the sport, you’ll no doubt be clamouring for the return of this prestigious race.
For the 2020 edition, you can expect to see more than 170 riders tackle 21 hard-going stages of this demanding event, with the overall winner taking home the sought-after yellow jersey. In this at a glance guide, we’ll look at what the race will look like, as well as seeing who the contenders will be.
When and where is the Tour de France 2020?
Looking to plan your schedule around the Tour de France? Then you’ll be eager to know that it starts on the 29th August and runs all the way to the 20th September. You’d usually be sitting down to see some world class cycling in June, but concerns for rider safety and international travel because of COVID-19 saw the race delayed. Thankfully, despite fears it may be cancelled, it’s now going ahead.
This year, 176 competitors from 22 teams will enter the Tour, battling it out for the right to wear the famous maillot jaune (yellow jersey). While the route often sees stages held in countries like the UK, Germany, and Italy, the 2020 race will be held exclusively in France to minimise safety concerns. It will begin in Nice and cover 21 stages across 3,500 km before ending in Paris.
What Tour de France jerseys should I look out for?
We’ve touched on the prestigious yellow jersey, but you will also see other prize jerseys when you watch the event. To help you get a handle on the various other colours we’ve put together a quick overview of how the system works and what each shirt means.
In a nutshell, the Tour de France uses a classification system where various coloured or patterned jerseys are given out to the leaders (and eventually winners) in different race categories, like the overall leader, best mountain rider, and best sprinter. Every classification has its own points system that sees the leading rider at the end of each stage given the prize journey to wear the next day.
The major coloured/patterned jerseys to watch out for are:
- Yellow jersey: This jersey is awarded to the competitor who’s performed best in the general classification that determines who is the overall leader of the race.
- Green jersey: This jersey is awarded to the cyclist who is leading the points classification, which is based on who has been the best sprinter on flat stages.
- Polka dot jersey: This jersey is awarded to the competitor who is leading the field within the mountain classification, where points are earned by the cyclists who reach the top of each climb in the fastest time.
- White jersey: This jersey is awarded to riders under the age of 26. The classification sees the points awarded in the same way as the general classification, which determines the overall best young rider.
Who could take home the yellow jersey in 2020?
Although the Tour was under threat of being cancelled at one point, we’re set to see a full field of the world’s best cyclists competing this year. So, if you’re considering placing a bet on the race this year, you’ll have a number of top names to choose from. Here’s the latest odds on the contenders:
- Egan Bernal – 5/2
- Primoz Roglic – 11/2
- Chris Froome – 6/1
- Thibaut Pinot – 9/1
It’s worth keeping in mind that these odds are subject to change and will probably shift as the race gets closer. There’ll also be a dramatic shortening of odds on certain riders as it becomes clear who is the leading contender for the yellow jersey.
Hopefully, this guide has given you a crash course to what we can expect from the Tour de France this year. All that’s left is to enjoy some top class action in a few weeks’ time!
