2025 Tour de France predictions & betting tips: Can anyone deny Pogacar?
Florian Lipowitz to win Best Young Rider - 9/4 William Hill
The 112th Tour de France gets underway this weekend, with the entire 21-stage race taking place in France and finishing in Paris on 27 July.
All eyes will be on Tadej Pogacar, who is looking to win the gruelling race for a fourth time and the second year in a row.
The 26-year-old finished more than six minutes clear of second-placed Jonas Vingegaard 12 months ago as he dominated the race from start to finish, becoming the first rider to win six stages in a single race since Mark Cavendish in 2009.
He goes into the race in outstanding form, having already recorded 11 wins this year, so it's no surprise that betting sites make him the short-priced favourite, ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Joao Almeida.
The E Team Emirates-XRG rider certainly has what it takes to win, but so does Vingegaard, who won in 2022 and 2023 and was the runner-up last time around.
He was second to Pogacar at the recent eight-stage Criterium du Dauphine, finishing 59 seconds behind the Slovenian.
The race is a real battle of fitness, endurance, mindset and strategy as the riders cover approximately 3,500km in total, travelling from Lille down to Montpellier and back to Paris, and it is hard to see anyone beating Pogacar - but it takes a whole team to win a Tour.
Tour de France prediction 1: Tadej Pogacar to win General Classification - 4/11 Bet365
Remco Evenepoel is the favourite on most betting apps to retain the white jersey he won 12 months ago, but he has struggled to find his best form in 2025, which opens the door for 24-year-old Florian Lipowitz.
The German rider will need the support of his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, but if he can stay in there, we're backing him to take advantage of other riders' misfortunes to lead the next generation.
Tour de France prediction 2: Florian Lipowitz to win Best Young Rider - 9/4 William Hill
When using gambling sites, be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bet offers or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
NHS Help
GambleAware
Gamblers Anonymous
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Top gun Pogacar targets fourth Tour de France triumph
Lille hosts the Grand Depart of the 112th Tour de France, with a cargo container art installation on the main drag (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT) The Tour de France sets off Saturday with superstar Tadej Pogacar and his rival Jonas Vingegaard sharing top billing with the magnificent 3,338-kilometre route itself. After starts in Florence, Bilbao and Copenhagen, and with upcoming editions in Barcelona and Edinburgh, cycling's most prestigious race has an old school itinerary this year raced exclusively in France and favouring climbers. Advertisement France has been wilting under a heatwave this week, but the race's sole African rider Biniam Girmay was unfazed by this. "If there's one person who is happy to ride in the heat, it's me," said the 2024 sprint king. "The hotter, the better." Girmay will be amongst the favourites to take the first stage win and the yellow jersey accorded to the overall leader. And with hordes of Belgian fans pouring across the nearby border Remco Evenepoel will be well supported in his bid to reach further than his third man billing. "I'll go all in all the way," promised the Olympic and world time-trial champion. Advertisement Often described as the most beautiful stadium in the world, the Tour route roves across the north coast to the west of Brittany, before heading south through the Massif Central and the first mountain stage on day 10. "Everybody knows that's when the real race begins," said the straight talking Belgian Evenepoel. Team UAE's Pogacar starts as red-hot favourite with fans and bookmakers alike, and he can silence any remaining doubters by beating arch-rival Vingegaard of Visma. Pogacar has won three Tour de France and has 99 professional wins, so will almost certainly hit his century here, maybe in the first week. Advertisement "Jonas might be stronger in the mountains, so I'd better get ahead a bit early on with some bonus seconds," he said. - 'Intense rivalry' - Glimpses of Pogacar and Vingegaard going head-to-head on the Alpine slopes or along the panoramic roads of the French Riviera provide tension, drama and sporting rivalry as enthralling as any involving the old-time legends. Vingegaard tends to focus on a single-mission strategy, awaiting one big moment to spring a deeply considered killer move at a meticulously chosen spot. Visma team boss Grischa Niermann insisted Friday his team had come to win, but both he and Vingegaard were keeping mum about what their plan was. Advertisement "I'm on the highest level that I've ever been," said the 2022 and 2023 winner. "If we didn't think we could win, we wouldn't be sat here," said Niermann. Pogacar certainly seemed relaxed when he spoke to the press at the magnificent Lille Opera. "The last five years have been intense between me and Jonas," Pogacar said. "It's a great competition and rivalry and it will be interesting to see if the title changes hands again." The volcanoes of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. Advertisement But before any dash towards the eventual finish line on the Champs-Elysees there is one final twist. A last-minute addition to the 2025 route is a nod to the 2024 Olympic Games road race, which drew vast crowds to the old Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre. On the final day a cauldron of noise up the narrow cobbled climb to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica provides one final obstacle, after which the winner will be crowned. For 21 days this July, the daily doings of this most arduous of sporting struggles provides the drumbeat of summer, with armchair tourists and cycling fanatics alike tuning in around the world. dmc/ea
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
There are now six golfers born in the 2000s who have won a PGA Tour event
It's a club with just a handful of members now, but eventually it'll number in the hundreds. That's inevitable. For now, though, there are six pro golfers born in the 2000s who have won a PGA Tour event. Interestingly, two of the four have two Tour wins and another already has three. The latest to do so is a big-hitter from South Africa. Here are the names of the six (for now) newbies who already have PGA Tour trophies on their mantles. Aldrich Potgieter Born: Sept. 13, 2004 Potgieter became one of the rare 20-year-olds to win a PGA Tour stop, doing so at the 2025 Rocket Classic. He had previously won on the Korn Ferry Tour as age 19. Karl Vilips Born: Aug. 16, 2001. Vilips shot a final-round 64 at Grand Reserve Club to close out his victory in the 2025 Puerto Rico Open. It was just his fourth PGA Tour start, just the 12th since 1970 to earn a PGA Tour win in his fourth or fewer starts. Joe Highsmith Born: April 19, 2000. Highsmith won the 2025 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches after making the cut on the number and then posting back-to-back 64s over the weekend at PGA National. He's just the sixth golfer since 2003 to win after making the cut on the number. Akshay Bhatia Born: Jan. 31, 2002. Bhatia was 21 when he won the 2023 Barracuda Championship for his maiden victory. He then followed that up in the 2024 Valero Texas Open. Bhatia turned pro at 17, forgoing college for life on the professional circuit. Tom Kim Born: June 21, 2002 Kim is the actually the first golfer born in the 2000s to win on the PGA Tour when he claimed the 2022 Wyndham Championship. His story there was incredible, as he made quadruple bogey on the first hole of the tournament. By going on to win, he became the first player in the last 40 years to overcome such a start to win. He was 20 years, 1 month, 17 days old when he hoisted the trophy, the second-youngest winner on Tour since World War II. He later won the Shriners Childrens Open in Las Vegas back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. Nick Dunlap Born: Dec. 23, 2003. Dunlap's claim to fame was becoming the first amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to win a PGA Tour event. Dunlap was just 20 and still enrolled at Alabama when he not only won but won in record style at the 2024 American Express. His 29-under 259 total set the tournament record for the event since it switched to a 72-hole format in 2012. [It was the Tour's lone 90-hole event for many years prior to that.] Six months later, Dunlap won the Barracuda Championship, becoming the first golfer ever to win as an amateur and as a professional in one PGA Tour season.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Jos Verstappen Criticizes Red Bull's Performance Amid Son's Decline
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, has criticized Red Bull for the drop in the RB21 F1 car's performance despite a new floor upgrade. Ferrari and McLaren have brought effective upgrades that enhanced performance in the Austrian GP. Max qualified for P7 at the Red Bull Ring after his flying lap was aborted due to yellow flags. Sunday's race ended for the four-time world champion with a DNF after Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed into him on the opening lap. Not only Max, but his teammate Yuki Tsunoda has also been struggling with the RB21 car as he finished the race in the last position. The Japanese driver's performance has notably dropped after being promoted to the Milton Keynes-based team early this season. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Jos Verstappen look on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November... Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Jos Verstappen look on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 24, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MoreMax called his father after the Austrian GP qualifying session, when Jos was attending to his rally driving duties in Belgium. Addressing the conversation they had on the phone, and pointing out Red Bull's performance concerns, Jos told Race Express: "I have seen a little bit of qualifying. "I saw the last lap when he got the yellow flags, but it didn't look fast enough. "I already heard it on the phone, he said, 'Yeah, it's just not good enough.'" Addressing the updates brought in by other teams, Jos added: "Ferrari has brought a good update, we know that McLaren are always at the front and who else is in between? "Mercedes is kind of in between, and I think the update that Red Bull brought doesn't make that much of a difference. "You can see it in Tsunoda, too; he doesn't even reach Q2. So yeah, the speed has fallen from there." Red Bull's performance challenges arrive amid swirling rumors about Max moving to Mercedes in the future. George Russell confirmed ongoing talks between the Red Bull driver and his team, but Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that there was a very low probability of Max racing for Mercedes next year. He said: "I think when you look at the situation we have with Kimi [Antonelli] and George, we have a perfect line-up that we very much enjoy, that we believe is the future. "But at the same time, there is a four-time World Champion that needs to decide what he's going to do in the future, and that is just, as a team principal, you need to see where that is going. "But I think I give it a very little probability that this is going to happen." When asked if the little probability was for 2026 or the long-term future, he said: "I don't know what's going to be in three or five years. "That's why you need to look at what should be considered on the long term." He added: "Nothing needs, in a way, to come towards favourable for us, because with George and Kimi is what we want to be and what we want to continue. "But, in order to plan right for the long term of the future, you've got to understand what other people do."
