Fancy a bet on Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix? Take a look at the odds on Sportsbet, Bet365 or William Hill, it’s still early enough to get some great prices on outsiders that could take the win.
Paris-Roubaix is usually won one of two ways, one of the strongest two favourites wins solo or in a very small bunch of four or less riders. Since 2004, when four riders entered the Roubaix velodrome and Magnus Bäckstedt won the sprint there have been six occasions when the race was won solo and the other four winners won in in a group of either two or three. This race favours a favourite who strong enough to be last man standing.
The other way the race is won is a slightly less favoured rider manages to stay away from the break and the riders behind either get disrupted in the chase or simply can’t get organised. O’Grady in 2007 and Vansummeren in 2011. In 2011 the strongest two riders in Cancellara and Hushovd had a stand off when none wanted to lead the chase, by the time Cancellara gave chase it was too late and Vansummeren won by 19 seconds.
The favourites
Fabian Cancellara at 2.88, Sep Vanmaerke 6.00, Tom Boonen 10.00 and Alexander Kristoff at 12.00. Cancellara and Vanmaerke are going to be heavily marked in this race but even with that most fans will be picking Cancellara. A late concern for Cancellara is that team mate Stijn Devolder will now not be starting. If The Bike Lane ends up backing any of this group it will be an each way bet on Vanmaerke, he finished second here last year and second in last weeks Tour of Flanders. Kristoff is definetly worth a punt, he finished 9th last year beating home a bunch of twelve. He’s already one a monument this season in the Milan-Sanremo.
A group of ten
The winner could easily come from the next group, some have more favoured teammates and may be let up the road in a break, others are strong but not as heavily marked as the four rider above.
Peter Sagan at 17.00, Zednek Stybar 17.00, Niki Terpstra 21.00, Greg Van Avermaet 21.00, John Degenkolb 23.00, Taylor Phinney 26.00, Geraint Thomas 34.00, Stijn Vandenbergh 41.00, Arnoud Demare 51.00 and Edvald Boasson Hagen 51.00.
In this group we like the chances of Niki Terpstra, fifth in 2012, third last year and some great form this year including sixth in the Tour of Flanders, a win in the Dwars door Vlanderen and second in E3 Harelbeke. Of the others, Greg Van Avermaet
The outsiders
Maarten Wynants at 301.00 , run thirteenth last year, tenth the year before, won’t be marked with Vanmarcke as his teammate. Lars Boom at 81.00, finished sixth at Paris-Roubaix in 2012.
There are riders that have run top ten in previous Paris-Roubaix all the way down the list paying 501.00 so study the form and take your pick.
Watch all the action starting at on Eurosport starting at 9.15pm AEST. Join The Bike Lane on twitter #ParisRoubaix
In the meantime watch this short preview of Paris-Roubaix via Le Tour.
The Queen of Classics by tourdefrance
Nice tip on Terpstra, looking back now he seemed such an obvious chance.