Tour De France Stage 1 predictions, betting tips, odds and free bets (July 2, 2016)

Saturday, 02 July 2016 02:48
Written by David Bet

The 2016 Tour De France opening stage is a historically significant race, with the iconic backdrop of Mont-St-Michel seeing the riders off and the finish line at Utah Beach, scene of one of the D-Day landings in June 1944. Find below our Tour De France Stage 1 betting preview, best odds, predictions on Winner and Head to Head, bookie promotions & no deposit free bets!

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TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 1 BETTING PREVIEW

For the third time in four years, the sprinters will get a chance to go for the first yellow jersey at the Tour de France. The profile and betting suggest a mass bunch sprint and that is likely to be the case. There are few hills today. The early part is mostly flat, but the peninsula crossing is more undulating. Anyway, wind, especially crosswinds, will be a factor on the stage, because crosswinds can cause splits in the peloton, especially if one team uses them to make things difficult.

Furthermore, the first sprint of the Tour is often a chaotic, unpredictable affair as everybody is fresh. Plus, with two categorized climbs early in the stage, the fight to win the polka dot jersey and become the Tour’s first King of the Mountains leader will be very fierce.

Marcel Kittel has emerged as the dominant force in sprint finishes in recent years and the parcours of this stage suits him perfectly. The German has two of the Tour’s last three opening stages and has a team strong enough to keep at the front and out of trouble. Paris-Nice was the only race he has entered this year where he didn't notch a win, winning stages in Dubai, Algarve, De Panne, Romandie and the Giro d'Italia.

Lotto-Soudal’s Andre Greipel won Stage 2 of last year’s Tour in similarly challenging conditions. He was only one win behind Kittel with seven wins this season, but he managed to level the scores in style last weekend by beating him in the German Nationals.

Mark Cavendish is a multiple tour stage winner and has won stages like this before. Anyway, the Brit has been a while since he has been at his best and it is doubtful whether he will ever return to dominate the flat stages as a few years ago.

Peter Sagan has been flying again in the Tour de Suisse, winning the first two road stages, beating Gaviria and Albasini. But he would prefer a tougher, hillier day to take the sting out of the pure sprinters legs.

Alexander Kristoff is not one of the very fastest sprinters but he does have excellent straight line speed. Also, if crosswinds play their part, Kristoff has the ability to position himself well to take advantage of any stage splits.

Local boy Bryan Coquard, Aussie Michael Matthews, Irishman Sam Bennett and the recovering John Degenkolb will be the outsiders for Stage 1.

Dylan Groenewegen is an interesting one - he's had a fantastic season, culminating in his victory in the Dutch Nationals at the weekend. He is our dark horse for this stage.