Who are the bookmakers tipping for the Tour of Flanders win?
No major surprises in who the bookies are tipping for the top podium spot in Sunday's Tour of Flanders – although many are still offering bets on Geraint Thomas
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Greg Van Avermaet (BC Racing) are unsurprisingly the bookies favourites to take victory in this Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
Both riders have all but dominated the classics so far this season, with Van Avermaet completing an impressive triple winning streak at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem.
Defending Flanders champion Sagan, meanwhile, has not been far from the action, having won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and placed second in Milan-San Remo and Het Nieuwsblad, plus third at Ghent-Wevelgem.
>>> Tour of Flanders 2017: Latest news and race info
Resurgent cobbles man and current Belgian road race champion Philippe Gilbert (QuickStep-Floors) is also rated highly by the bookies – more so after his convincing solo win in the opening stage of the Three Days of De Panne on Tuesday.
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha-Alpecin), Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) and John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) are also among the favourites, along with one oddity: Geraint Thomas. According to Odds Checker, many are offering odds of 20/1 - best avoided.
The Team Sky Welshman is sitting out the classics this year as he focuses on the Giro d'Italia, something which has evidently passed many of the bookmakers by.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
>>> Greg Van Avermaet will ‘race aggressively’ at Tour of Flanders
There are several riders who could figure highly in Flanders who appear further down the bookies' list of favourites: Tom Boonen (Quick-Step Floors), Sep Vanmarcke (Cannondale-Drapac), Luke Rowe (Team Sky), Arnaud Démare (FDJ), Edvlad Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) and Ian Stannard (Team Sky) among them.
Bet 365 was offering odds of 40/1 for Rowe on Wednesday morning.
The 2017 Tour of Flanders takes place in Belgium on Sunday, April 2. The gruelling 260.8km route includes 18 climbs and cobbled sectors. Crashes and mechanical mishaps can play as much a part of the race as strength, stamina and tactics.
Last year, Van Avermaet was forced to abandon the race with 100km remaining after a heavy fall.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
My 200-mile Welsh adventure left me crying in a convenience store - but I'd do it again
Looking for a challenging two-day tour, Steve Shrubsall heads to the wild Pembrokeshire coast of Wales (UK) – and gets exactly what he wished for…
By Stephen Shrubsall Published
-
Cranks that whiz at high speed are not a desirable feature, they’re just an invitation for crud to get into the bearings
CW’s Undercover Mechanic turns his attention to the murky world of bottom bracket ‘optimisations’
By Undercover Mechanic Published
-
Elisa Longo Borghini pips Kasia Niewiadoma on the line to win second Tour of Flanders
In-form Italian praises Lidl-Trek team after repeating feat she achieved in 2015
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's one of the hardest races I've ever done' - Mathieu van der Poel on his historic Tour of Flanders victory
World champion becomes seventh man in history to win the race three times
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel wins record-equalling third Tour of Flanders with 45km attack
Dutchman pulls off audacious long-range coup to claim Monument victory
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert gears towards career-defining fortnight in new, enlightened mindset
Belgian admits pressure has weighed heavily on his shoulders in the past as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix come around once more
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tour of Flanders, Giro d'Italia, Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Cycling Weekly's races of the year for 2023
Our writers pick their best moments from an enthralling 2023, what do you think?
By Adam Becket Published