Giro d’Italia 2023: Evenepoel And Roglic Betting Favorites
Ciao, the grand tour starts on Saturday, May 6, in Fossacesia Marina, Italy, and ends on May 28th in Rome. The event will have 21 stages, and for those who are feverishly looking for roster lists, we found a solid one right here.
The big story is that two of the dominant cyclists from last year will be here. Remco Evenepoel, who won La Vuelta in 2022, and Primoz Roglic, three-time winner of La Vuelta, will compete against each other. Those two will also have competition nipping at their heels.
Let us look at critical stages, pivot points, and how things look for the bettors. Finally, there will be an attempt to make some cycling betting picks on what may be a challenging course.
Breaking Down the Giro
There will be stage previews of this grand tour's vital and critical stages. The Giro starts with the first of three individual time trials. This one is a simple 18.5 km (11.5 miles), primarily for speed. It’s like an extended prologue. No team time trials are on the docket for 2023.
This Giro is headlined by how many mountainous stages occur over the final half. Besides Stages 4 and 7 early, that 16-18 combination will take much starch out of the cyclists. A mountain-like time trial (Stage 20) and a few sprint stages keep things interesting.
The “General Classification (GC)” could change several times, even in this field. Do not be surprised if teams like Jumbo Visma try to “give away” the red jersey for a few days here and there. That will help make for less work in defending the jersey. Does Remco Evenepoel play it smart in this Grand Tour as well?
Check locally for those watching television in the United States, where streaming platforms like Discovery Plus will televise the event. After stages, Chris Horner’s “Butterfly Effect” provides insight into tactics and what to expect.
The Giro edition of the Italy grand tour has a few undulations. Climbing gradients, as they are called, will be detailed because recovery is such a critical issue. Because this is a three-plus week grand tour, a rider’s experience will play a hand in some picks more than others.
Oh, Those Mountains!
Another thing to consider is that Stage 19 will have an ugly summit climb up Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The mountaintop looms at over 7,000 feet (2,304 meters).
Again, Stages, 16,18, and 19 are nasty, with several thousand meters of vertical climbing. The summit finishes have 13-15% inclines in spots that will shuffle the GC out quite a bit.
Either way, at least temperatures should not be too oppressive, but the weather can change at any time. Lastly, one variable is rearing its ugly head again.
COVID Yet Again?
COVID returned at the worst time for the Giro. Several teams reported cases. Jumbo-Visma had to replace a few riders. Primoz Roglic has not been impacted, and most GC riders seem okay. Problems could arise later.
By our rough estimates, around 8-12 riders came down with COVID or have recently recovered. It will be interesting to see what happens with Warren Barguil. He missed Liege with the virus but has bounced back. With several lieutenants for GC contenders out or not necessarily in form, that changes things a little. Third-week surprises could be in the cards.
Final Words And Predictions
The books like Primoz Roglic. At around +200, he is a solid second choice. His goal, this time, is to avoid an early DNF at all costs. Honestly, some of the inclines are troublesome for Remco Evenepoel. He may get isolated a good deal later in the race. This is one of those races where Roglic would be the favorite if not for the DNF fear.
Here are a few wagers to consider as we start! Expect more as the tour wages on.
- Tao Geoghegan Hart to podium at +250.
- Jay Vine at +1200 on DraftKings for “King Of The Mountains”
- Ineos Grenadiers at +175 for “Team Classification” (watch for live betting options, though).
- Joao Almeida at +330 for a top-3 finish
- Josef Cerny at +2000 as a TT longshot to win Stage 1.
- Primoz Roglic to win the overall at +200.
Again, expect a wild and bumpy Giro! Good luck, everyone!
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