The Giro d’Italia has attracted the most experienced and successful cycling bettors over the years. But let’s find out if the Giro d’Italia is worth the bet or not.
Each year, cyclists worldwide prepare for the Giro d’Italia, a multi-stage race that starts in Italy and passes through nearby countries. The Giro is an accredited UCI World Tour event where prominent world teams compete.
What is the Giro d’Italia?
The Giro d’Italia, or “Tour of Italy,” is an annual cycling event that started in 1909 and is also called the Giro. The event was initially held to increase La Gazzetta Dello Sport’s sales and continue to hold the event.
The Giro became even more popular when this was lengthened, and cyclists from around the world were allowed to participate. This Grand Tours lasts for three weeks and kicks off during May and ends in June.
The route varies every year, but the rules and the formal remains. There are two-time trials, a race through the Alps and into the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy.
The modern versions of the Giro span over 23 to 24 days with 21 stages and 2 to 3 days of rest. It’s easy to spot the leader in a Giro general classification race as this is the rider who wears the classic pink jersey. The event has different classes, and just a few of them are the points class, young rider class, mountains class, which is ruled by climbers, and team class.
The Giro d’Italia is famous for its extreme climbs, with each race having more climbs with increasing height and severity. The race runs through the Alps and the Dolomites, which are the longest, most strenuous climbs. The Passo Dello Stelvio, Passo di Gavia, and Passo Pordoi are three of the most famous mountains featured in the different Giro races.
What Bets Can You Place on the Giro?
Because of the many classifications for the Giro, a variety of bet types have surfaced. These different wagers are available from many online bookmakers and betting exchanges. The Giro d’Italia features a variety of odds and attracts a wide range of punters, similarly to the Tour de France.
Bet on the Stage Winner
There are 21 stages in the event, and you can bet on the winner of each stage. Almost all bookmakers offer this type of bet and will allow you to choose a specific cyclist for every stage.
Bet on the Outright Winner
Another very popular bet in the Giro d’Italia is the outright or the overall winner of the event. This is a straightforward market to bet on and is also available in almost all online bookmakers. You may be able to see the odds for each cyclist as soon as you visit the online bookmaker’s sites.
Bet on the Nationality
Since betting is not just limited to Italians, you can bet on the cyclist representing your country – if a cyclist from your country is competing. This is currently one of the most popular and the favorite among bettors from different countries. However, according to bookers, the most popular nationalities are Italians, French, British and Spanish riders.
Bet on the Top Three and the Top Ten
Bettors also love to bet on the top three as well as the top ten finishers for the entire race and for each stage. This type of bet is just like the each-way bet common in other racing sports like horse racing, marathons, and other cycling events. When you bet on the top three, you can select any cyclist, even from different countries. With the top ten, you can pick all the cyclists from one team or combine two teams to create a formidable bet.
Match Bets
Match bets are also called head-to-head bets. This is a special kind of bet where you pit a cyclist with the other to find out who will race faster in a particular stage of the race. You may also bet head-to-head to find out who among the two contenders will win overall.
Bet on the Points Winner
Probably the most controversial bet of all is the winner of the Green or the Points Jersey. The cyclist who has the most points for the intermediate sprint events and the finishers for stage events gets the Points Jersey.
Usually, bettors rely on a history of certain cyclists’ performance to come up with a reasonable bet. If a cyclist previously competed on the Giro, then it’s a good chance you can use his previous record to see if he is a good bet for the Points Jersey.
Risk vs. Reward Ratio
As with most betting sports and financial investments, some of the Giro markets are riskier than the others but may also have better returns. Meanwhile, some markets may seem safe but will only guarantee low returns. This is why successful bettors study their bets beforehand. They carefully select the type of market they think would be more profitable to give them more confidence in their bets.
And aside from carefully studying the market to minimize risk, using a reliable and seamless betting site or online booker is very important. Choose a betting exchange app that offers live streaming for the event and will provide competitive odds. An online booker with money-back rewards and good offers will also take you a few steps closer to success.
The Giro d’Italia has attracted not only the best cyclists but also the most experienced and successful bettors. It is very rewarding, but you must study the market well before you take the risk.
