FORMER Tour de France winner Alberto Contador’s odds to win this year have ballooned out to $34 at Sportsbet.com.au after the Spaniard dropped more time in stage five.
Having crashed twice in the opening two stages, the two-time champion Contador – who started the tour as one of the favourites at $9 – is now one of the outsiders to claim his third Tour de France title.
The 2007 and 2009 Tour winner has now lost an additional 44 seconds on the 51 second gap he was trying to overcome against the current favourite for the title, Englishman Chris Froome.
Contador is refusing to concede his chances of winning a third title are over.
“I knew it would be hard. The two crashes really hurt, I’m still aching, it’s not easy to recover,” Contador said.
“But I’m hanging in there, the support of the crowd is helping a lot. I’m not feeling down, I’m going to give my best.”
Defending champion Chris Froome is the short priced favourite ($2.20) to take out this year’s Tour de France at sportsbet.com.au after a strong start to the tour.
Froome said that while he will take the lead from his rival Contador, he would prefer to do it by being the better athlete.
“With Alberto, that’s quite normal (to fall behind in the times) after a big crash or the couple of big crashes that he has had,” he said.
“No one wants to see that, ourselves included. I would rather gain time in the mountains from him, not because he is hurt and injured and suffering.”
Despite having a commanding lead over the two-time winner, Froome’s team is taking nothing for granted.
Froome’s team mate Geraint Thomas refused to rule the former champion out of the running.
“It’s just a handful of seconds here. You can’t write Contador off. Obviously, it’s a bonus, but we certainly don’t take anything for granted,” he said.
The reigning champion said keeping himself and his team out of trouble is the best way to ensure he has a chance of going back-to-back.
“For us it was just about staying up front. Those descents were pretty tricky, pretty dangerous, and it was about not really losing any time to other GC [general classification] guys.” Froome said.
“It’s one more day down now. It was more about just keeping out of trouble because the big GC days are still to come.”
Tour de France outright winner
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
Chris Froome $2.20
Nairo Quintana $2.25
Fabio Aru $13
Tejay Van Garderen $26
Alberto Contador $34
Richie Porte $34
Thibaut Pinot $34
Mikel Landa $67
Romain Bardet $67
Julian Alaphilippe $67
Alejandro Valverde $67
Daniel Martin $81
Geraint Thomas $101
Tom Dumoulin $101
Vincenzo Nibali $101
Pierre Rolland $126
Joaquin Rodriguez $151
Warren Barguil $151
Roman Kreuziger $176
Wilco Kelderman $201
Adam Yates $251
Greg Van Avermaet $251
Belgian Greg Van Avermaet claims yellow after stage five victory
BELGIAN rider Greg Van Avermaet took out the dramatic stage five, but the incumbent holder of the yellow jersey is not expected to figure in the overall standings at the end of the tour according to sportsbet.
Van Avermaet is at $251 to win the 2016 Tour de France, but that is not stopping the two-time stage winner from enjoying his time at the top.
“It’s special for me, it’s the best jersey in the world. It’s my first time and perhaps the last so I will enjoy every moment,” said Van Avermaet,
“It’s the best moment of my career. Winning a stage is already quite something but this takes it to another level.”
The current yellow jersey holder is not expected to make an impact at stage six even after his fantastic showing on stage five.
Sportsbet has the Beligan at the massive price of $201 to register back-to-back stage wins.
The Tour continues on Thursday with a 190.5km sixth stage from Arpajon-sur-Cere to Montauban.
Stage six winner
Odds provided by sportsbet.com.au
Marcel Kittel $2.63
Andre Greipel $5.50
Bryan Coquard $10
Peter Sagan $10
Dylan Groenewegen $19
Alexander Kristoff $21
Edward Theuns $51
Michael Matthews $67
Daniel McLay $67
Sondre Holst Enger $81
John Degenkolb $81
Fabian Cancellara $101
Christophe Laporte $101
Alexis Gougeard $101
