Guide to Betting on Cycling Online

Compared to the most popular sports, not many people bet on cycling with real money. That’s a shame, as the sport offers some excellent betting opportunities around big competitions like the Tour de France, La Vuelta, and the Giro d’Italia. There are lots of smaller cycling races to bet on, too.

We explain how to identify the best opportunities and win money in this guide. Before we get there, let’s take a look at the best cycling betting sites online in 2024.

Our top-rated cycling betting apps and sites offer excellent odds for all major races, interesting promotions, and other advantages.

We share details on what you can expect from them below, along with information about betting on the biggest races in cycling, an overview of the different cycling bets, and more. The goal is to help you learn how to bet on cycling and make money.

We have a team of experienced online gambling specialists that spend a lot of time looking for the best sports betting sites for cycling.

They are looking for online sportsbooks and real money apps that are reliable but also rewarding to their customers. Other factors we value are the variety of banking methods, the payout speed, the bike races covered, the user interface, and the customer support service.

The top-rated cycling betting sites you see on this page all excel in these areas. We also make sure to monitor them regularly and adjust our rankings accordingly. Our list always stays fresh.

Here’s what our top sites and apps for cycling betting with money have to offer.

We have little doubt that BetUS is the best option when it comes to betting on cycling online. The sportsbook covers all major bicycle races and you can find a decent number of markets.

The cycling betting odds are higher than most of the competition and you can use all regular promotions to bet on cycling. BetUS offers a welcome bonus that is worth up to $2,500, and there are many other opportunities to earn extra cash.

Americans are more than welcome and the bookie has some of the fastest payments in the industry. If you pick Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, your payouts will often reach your wallet on the same day.

If you are looking for the best apps for betting on cycling with money, you should start with MyBookie. The sportsbook’s mobile-responsive site works on all popular devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows Phones.

You can enjoy Tour de France odds, other grand tours, and less popular races. The prices are great and there are enough bonuses for you to boost your returns right from the start.

MyBookie is especially good if you like cryptocurrencies. The betting site works with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a few more options. The payments are fast and there’s a Crypto Rewards Club for even more benefits.

If you want more safe cycling gambling sites and apps, we have several excellent options that are almost on the same level as our top choices.

Here are some details about the best of them.

Picking any of these sites is an excellent idea and we recommend that use more than one sportsbook for betting on cycling races online. This will bring you higher odds and more special offers.

Now that you know where to bet on cycling with real cash, let’s check the basics everyone should learn before risking any money.

If you have never placed real money wagers on cycling, getting started can be daunting. The good news is that online cycling betting is easy and you can quickly learn the process.

We advise you to use online sports betting sites because this is the most convenient option and the returns are typically higher. It only takes a minute or so to complete your registration and making a deposit is fast, too.

Once you’re ready to go, just open the cycling section of your chosen betting app or site and explore the options. Let’s look at the wagers that will be available to you.

Many of the best cycling bets at your disposal will be open before the race has started. Here are the most common among them.

The list above covers the most popular markets for gambling on cycling online, but it’s not exclusive. The top online sportsbooks often try new options, so keep your eyes open.

You should also consider the opportunity to place your wagers while the race is running which leads us to the next point.

Most races and even individual stages are long. They can continue for hours and the best bookies for cycling offer live odds while they are running. If you are planning to watch the competition anyway, that’s certainly a good opportunity to make money from cycling betting online.

The live betting markets at your disposal usually include race/stage winner, top finish, and the occasional specials.

Here are examples of unique live betting markets for cycling.

There are other markets, too, and we have a section dedicated to live betting on cycling later on. So stay tuned for tips and tricks that can improve your chances to win money!

In the meantime, we have some cycling gambling advice that applies to all types of betting on the sport and can be very useful for beginners.

Here’s your starter pack for betting on cycling with real money. The tips below are simple, but you will likely struggle to find success if you don’t follow them.

If you want more information on the tips above and even more essential sports betting advice, the following pages deliver.

Most people think of races such as the Tour de France when they hear pro cycling, but there are a ton of different competitions in the sport. It’s close to impossible to describe all of the formats, so we won’t dive into too many details here.

We will mention one characteristic that makes a huge difference, and that’s whether the event is outdoors or indoors.

The conditions are very different. Indoor races take place in velodromes that are simply tracks with a fixed length. There’s no wind or rain, the track is flat, and the cyclists usually can focus solely on achieving top speed.

On the other hand, the fast pace and the desire to break the limits often lead to dangerous crashes, especially in formats that include simultaneous start.

Outside of that, indoor bicycle races are mostly about being in peak physical condition. The most talented riders who are in the best shape usually win.

That’s not always the case with outdoor races. The changing conditions, the weather, and the longer distances require more complex qualities. Cyclists have to be fast, no doubt about that, but the terrain changes, the tempo varies greatly, and they have to be very careful with how they use their energy.

Betting on indoor cycle races is almost solely about identifying the best riders, while betting on outdoor competitions requires an in-depth analysis of the bigger picture. With that in mind, let’s move on to our main strategy advice for gambling on cycling with real money.

Pro cycling races come in all shapes and sizes, so finding a system that works for all of them is close to impossible.

However, we have several cycling betting tips that can serve as the core of your strategy because they are applicable in pretty much all situations.

With so many variations available, you should always start by analyzing the main characteristics of the race. That can help you understand what attributes are required to win.

Here are the main factors you have to consider.

After you finish your initial evaluation, you should have a clear idea of what to expect from a race and what kind of rider would feel at home there. It’s time to move on to the next step.

The cycling calendar features many events and you can’t really ignore the important ones. The top riders always prepare for bigger competitions such as the Tour de France, the Olympics, and similar.

They use some of the events shortly before the top races to hit top form and experiment a bit. That’s why the best contestants in a competition might not be the most motivated to win.

You should always think of the major goals of the leading athlete for the season and how the current race fits them. If it’s a big one, they should be close to their top form. If it’s a smaller one, they might use it to build fitness rather than aiming to win.

Another step of your preparation should be to identify the favorites. We already touched on the mental side of things and the terrain, but there are other factors to consider.

One of the most obvious places to start is to check the cycling odds for the race. The top bookmakers online usually know what they are doing, so their own evaluation will give you a decent idea of what to expect.

They naturally favor the best cyclists who have strengths compatible with the terrain. However, the preparation and the mental side of things are not always considered. If you think about them when working on your cycling predictions, you can find some edges.

We also advise you to check the historical data from a race. Certain athletes have favorite competitions, and that can make a difference.

The previous results from competitions of a similar profile earlier in the season and from the previous year can also help, so always check them before you gamble on cycling with real money.

It’s vital to understand that individual talent is not enough in professional cycling. Every rider is backed by a team, and the resources at his disposal directly impact the results.

You should always evaluate the organizations behind the racers to find out if they have enough help to compete at the highest levels. Here are the main benefits that are secured by the best teams for their top riders.

Your strategy for cycling betting won’t be complete if you don’t pay enough attention to the overall team strength.

All the best cycling apps and betting sites offer live wagers for the biggest competitions on the calendar. You can watch the races and try your luck while they are running.

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who knows the sport well. We have prepared a list of tips on betting on cycling live that can help you find the best wagers.

Let’s begin with some general tips for live betting on cycling that apply to pretty much every race.

They are fairly simple, but you would be surprised by how many people ignore them and then wonder why they are losing money.

With the basic stuff covered, let’s dig a bit deeper.

Every single outdoor race or stage of a race includes key moments that determine the winner. Often, that’s a steep summit followed by a speedy downhill, but there are other scenarios too.

You should always identify the key segment and make sure to adjust your wagers. For example, if the crucial part of the race is a steep climb and a strong climber is just behind the leaders, it would be a good moment to back him before he reaches the summit.

At the same time, betting on sprinters that are leading the way when a climb is coming is probably not the best idea.

There is a huge difference between betting on one-off races and betting on stages from longer competitions such as grand tours.

The cyclists and teams have long-term goals when it comes to the latter and you simply can’t ignore that. Here are some factors to consider if that’s the case.

The main point here is to consider the big picture when betting on a cycling race live. The long-term goals affect the behavior of each cyclist.

All teams have a main rider, and his performance is prioritized in the long run. But that doesn’t mean he’s ALWAYS the one being pushed. The organization might have other goals in certain stages of grand tours, for example.

If there’s a good sprinter that’s fighting for a side classification, he might be the main man for the stage in question. You could spot that early on from the behavior of the team.

You should always know which contestants are being backed by their teams and when. These finer details really matter when betting on cycling live.

Apart from sprints where the riders simply go as fast as possible from start to finish, every race includes a strategic element. Distributing energy in the best way possible is the key to success.

There are different ways to approach the races and it’s good to try and find out what the main contenders are doing early on. Here are some examples of different tactics.

It must be mentioned that the predetermined strategy for the race/stage might change depending on the conditions and the performance of the competition. It’s crucial that you keep your eyes open for such moves when betting on cycling live.

For example, a rider who was taking it slowly might be forced to improve the tempo if a rival launches an attack. We’ve seen that sort of thing happen a ton of times.

There are only three grand tours in cycling, and they represent the ultimate challenge. The Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and the Vuelta a Espana are longer and tougher than any other cycle race on the World Tour.

They also open the door to the most (and best) gambling opportunities. The best sites for betting on cycling cover them extensively and each race includes over 20 days of action.

Here’s what you need to know about the grand tours of cycling.

The Giro d’Italia is the first grand tour of cycling every season, usually taking place in May and June. The main route goes through Italy, but we’ve often seen stages that pass through other countries, too.

This race includes more than 20 stages on all sorts of terrain. It’s the mountain sections that usually decide the outcome of the competition, though. The steep summits and the fast downhills are where the winner shines.

Naturally, there’s a lot more than the general classifications at the Giro. The race includes time trials, mountains and points classifications, as well as other rankings. You can usually bet on them all and we have a guide to betting the Giro d’Italia that goes into more depth.

Now that you know where to bet on Giro d’Italia online, it’s time to focus on the different gambling markets at your disposal.

There are various opportunities to win cash from the race and you should carefully consider all of them when you place your Tour of Italy wagers.

One option in Giro d’Italia betting is to wager on the race winner, predicting the cyclist who will finish first in the general classification. This market is available both in advance and throughout the competition, allowing bettors to choose between early betting for potentially underestimated riders or observing the race before making their decision.

While the chances of winning the general classification in Giro d’Italia are slim for most athletes, betting on individual stage winners can be thrilling due to the diverse conditions throughout the tour and the numerous contenders for each stage. Later on, we will provide specific tips on successfully placing wagers on stage winners in Giro d’Italia.

If you have confidence in a cyclist’s performance in Giro d’Italia but don’t expect them to win the race, considering the top finish markets is a wise choice. Many reputable betting sites offer odds on riders finishing in the top 3, 5, or 10 in the final standings, allowing you to back riders you believe in while mitigating some risks. Keep in mind that the prices are lower compared to betting on a Giro winner, and this market enables you to distribute your wagers across multiple riders.

One of our preferred Giro d’Italia betting options is the head-to-head market, offered by many online sportsbooks for both final rankings and selected stages. This allows you to choose between two cyclists of similar levels to win their duel, providing a focused and simplified betting experience. Additionally, some sites offer group head-to-heads, expanding the options beyond two competitors.

Our top-rated Giro d’Italia gambling sites online have even more betting options for the race that you should check out.

You now know what the profile of a potential Giro d’Italia winner looks like but there are other factors that you should consider when evaluating the contenders.

Here are some more useful tips that can help you decide how to bet.

Giro d’Italia is one of the most challenging competitions in cycling and proper preparation is crucial. It takes careful planning and months of hard work to hit peak form around the race and stay fit enough to make it throughout the three weeks.

That’s why you’ll rarely see top athletes perform at their best in all three grand tours of cycling. They usually pick only one.

Let’s take a look at the months in which they take place to understand why.

The gap between the major races in cycling is around 40-50 days and that makes it close to impossible to perform at a high level in all of them.

Most athletes pick one grand tour and you can find out which one by their preparation. If they hit more minor events in the spring, they are more likely building up their form for the Giro.

If they skip on the races leading to the Tour of Italy, they might be focusing on long-term goals related to the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.

Most people believe that cycling betting is only about individual performances, but that’s not exactly the case. Each athlete is part of a team and there is a clear hierarchy within each organization.

There is one leader who is the best rider of the team and a potential winner of the Giro. The main effort of the other cyclists in most stages is to support him in various ways. Here are some examples.

It’s important to pick teams that are well-organized and include riders who know their roles when you’re looking at the Giro d’Italia betting odds.

One of the factors that make Giro d’Italia betting so exciting is the large number of cyclists who could end up winning. There are always a few favorites before the start, but the competition is so long and gruesome that we often witness surprises.

Placing a few Giro d’Italia wagers on the winner instead of one is a good approach and can be profitable. Going for one of the main favorites and one or two dark horses is usually the optimal strategy.

The Tour de France is the most prestigious competition in the sport of cycling and one of the most difficult ones. It usually includes 21 stages over a period of 23 days that cover flat terrain, hills, steep summits, and dangerous downhills.

Winning the Tour is the ultimate prize in cycling and it takes complete dedication, loads of talent, and a strong team. A large number of the contestants in the Tour de France don’t even make it to the final every year.

If you are planning to bet on the Tour de France, we have a guide that delivers plenty of useful tips and stats about the race.

The popularity of the Tour de France leads to plenty of creativity from the online betting sites. They often come up with exciting markets for the competition.

However, the core Tour of France bets often deliver the best chance to win cash from the race. Here are the most attractive options and a quick explanation of how each of them works.

Betting on the winner of the Tour de France is the most popular option. You can pick from a long list of cyclists and back any of them.

This market is usually available weeks or even months in advance so that you can place your wagers early. That can be beneficial if you think that the internet bookies are underestimating a strong contender.

The Tour de France winner option stays open throughout the race, too, so you can stay patient and bet later on when you already have watched part of the competition.

If you want a Tour de France betting market with a faster turnaround time, you should focus on the stage winner option. You can place wagers on every single stage of the race.

The big benefit of this betting market is that several riders can have a chance, depending on the specific traits of the stage. You could hit some insane odds if you follow the race and analyze all the little details properly.

Since the Tour of France features more than 20 stages every year, developing a strategy for recognizing stage winners is a worthy investment of your time.

Most Tour de France betting sites have other futures besides the general classification winner, including the option to back a cyclist to finish in the top 3/5/10 in the final standings.

This is a great alternative. Just imagine that you have been following a young athlete and you believe he could do great at the Tour de France.

The odds suggest that the Tour de France gambling sites and the general audience are sleeping on him, so the value is up for grabs. And yet, he’s still too raw and inexperienced to fight for the title.

That’s where the top finish betting market comes into play. You could back him to get into the top 10 or even the top 3 rather than winning outright, giving you a greater chance of a return.

Head-to-head wagers are among our favorites, and most of the top-rated Tour de France sportsbooks online offer them for both the race as a whole and selected stages.

The principle is always the same; the riders are grouped in pairs and you can bet on who’s going to finish ahead.

The odds are way lower than the race winner or stage winner markets, though. The betting sites usually pair up contestants with similar chances, so you typically get prices around the -110 mark.

There are other ways to bet on the Tour de France as the top cycling sportsbooks are always working to deliver more options to their customers.

Here’s what many of them offer for the race.

If you’re looking for even more betting options for the Tour de France, be sure to shop around. Most of our recommended sites launch various specials before and during the popular competition.

Betting on the winners of Tour de France stages can be a lucrative endeavor. Each edition includes around 20 of them and they come in various different forms.

You should carefully analyze the nature of each stage, along with several other factors, if you want to be successful in this betting market.

Here are our Tour de France betting tips for the individual stages.

In terms of the starting order, the Tour de France includes two types of stages; mass starts and time trials.

With mass starts, all riders start and move on the route simultaneously. Most of the time they move in a large pack, with small groups occasionally taking the lead or falling behind.

In time trials, each rider moves on his own or with his teammates (in team time trials).

Time trials are mostly designed for sprinters because of the flat terrain, short distance, and low danger of accidents. There are usually only two stages of this type at the Tour de France and the riders generally push as hard as possible.

In rare cases, there are mountain time trials. These include a steep climb and they obviously favor good climbers.

There’s not much room for maneuvering in time trials because they are pretty short. Mass starts are different. Cyclists can see what their opponents are doing and adjust their strategy accordingly. If a contender starts an attack, they might be forced to follow him.

The risk of incidents is higher, too, and the terrain varies greatly.

There are all sorts of Tour de France stages in terms of the terrain. Some are flat and perfect for sprinters; others include exhausting climbs. There are also medium or hilly stages that are somewhere in between.

The organizers try to add some balance to the Tour of France. This means you will have the opportunity to bet on all types of stages.

Each type favors a different kind of specialist. The sprinters who rely on top speed excel in flat stages, while the mountain stages are better suited for climbers.

The medium-mountain and hilly stages are often tough to evaluate because they include different elements. Be sure to identify if they are closer to mountain or flat stages when placing your Tour de France wagers.

You should always remember that each Tour de France stage is part of the bigger picture. The different cyclists might have different goals, so don’t underestimate them.

The following can help you understand the bigger picture.

The Vuelta a Espana or simply La Vuelta is the last grand tour of cycling on the calendar and another ultimate test of physical and mental strength.

It’s a long competition that is held in August and September, with the toughest stages taking place in the heart of the Pyrenees.

The race includes 20+ stages every year and a number of different classifications which is great from a betting perspective. Check out our guide to La Vuelta betting to improve your chances to win cash.

Some of you may not have much experience with cycling gambling for real cash and would like to learn how to bet on La Vuelta.

The process is really simple and there are two main factors you need to explore; the types of La Vuelta bets available online and some basic tips that can help you avoid the main dangers of internet gambling with real money.

Not all La Vuelta sportsbooks online offer the same betting markets for the competition, but there are several wagers that are available at most of them.

Let’s take a look at the main betting markets and how they work.

These core La Vuelta wagers are usually offered by most betting apps and sportsbooks online.

The best sites usually offer even more markets, so we recommend that you check what’s available once the race is near.

Another popular form of La Vuelta gambling with real money is to bet on the stage winners. With around 20 of them in each edition, it can be a very rewarding approach. It’s also a tricky one because of the major differences in every stage.

Still, there are ways to evaluate the situation and find the best Vuelta La Espana wagers available online. Let’s take a look at them.

The first and most important step when it comes to betting on La Vuelta stages is to explore the terrain. The race includes the following options.

Certain terrains favor certain riders. Sprinters excel in flat La Vuelta stages, while climbers dominate in the mountains. As for the stages with mixed terrain, you have to pick good all-round riders and try to figure out if there are enough spots for the climbers to shine.

A single steep summit might be enough for them, even the rest of the stage is flat. Either way, the terrain analysis should be your starting point.

Next in line is the distance covered in the stage because it affects greatly the strategy of the riders and the profile of the potential winner. La Vuelta time trials are usually very short and there’s not much room for tactics.

The riders go all in right from the start and push with the highest tempo possible. Naturally, such conditions favor cyclists who are good sprinters.

Such a strategy would be suicidal in the longer stages where the ability to conserve energy while keeping a solid tempo is the key to success. The approach is completely different depending on the distance and long stages take careful planning.

Team strength plays a bigger role in them, too, because every little advantage matters in longer stages.

You should always remember that every Vuelta a Espana stage is part of the whole race. The previous days and future goals heavily affect the outcomes.

Here are some factors that you need to analyze when you place your La Vuelta bets on stage winners.

The scenarios above cover the most common cases you need to consider when betting money on La Vuelta stages, but there might be others. Carefully think about the bigger picture and how it might affect each upcoming stage.

The weather might vary from heat to heavy rain and that’s a factor that certainly affects the outcome of each stage.

It only takes a minute or two to check the forecast and that can be worth a lot of cash. When the weather is bad, the stages become way more unpredictable because of the slow tempo and the higher risk of crashes.

The team news is also important. It’s not uncommon for the riders to get sick or injured during La Vuelta. Follow the latest developments, so you’ll know if some of the cyclists have any physical problems.

The grand tours of cycling are certainly the most attractive events for betting on cycling online, but the calendar is full of other races that you can bet on.

Here are the most important of them.

All of the races above, the Olympics aside, and the grand tours are part of the UCI World Tour schedule that includes over 30 events every year.

Building a strategy that helps you recognize the best cycling betting picks can bring excellent results in the long run with so many chances to gamble at your disposal.