Covid-19 is running through the peloton and that has caused a dramatic shift in the betting as we head into week two of the Giro d’Italia. We take a look at the latest betting news as we head into the rest day…
Heading into the race, everything pointed towards Remco Evenepoel showing his dominance but a crash with a stray dog seemed to affect his performance and whilst he managed to eke out a win in the Individual Time Trial on Stage Nine by just a single second from Geraint Thomas, it wasn’t a vintage performance and a few hours later, we may have got a good indicator why that was as the pre-race favourite withdrew following a positive Covid test.
It was a fear that had enveloped the peloton ever since three Jumbo-Visma riders were forced to pull out days before with positive tests and a trickle of withdrawals started to pile up. When ITT specialist and one of the biggest engines for Team Ineos, Filippo Ganna had to abandon people openly questioned who might be next and now we know, it was the Maglia Rosa wearer himself.
His departure from the race means that it is former Tour De France winner Geraint Thomas who inherits the lead of the race. The Welshman will have a two-second lead over Primoz Roglic.
The three-time winner of the Vuelta was seen as the biggest threat to Evenepoel as the riders amassed for the start of the Giro but his form seems shaky and with a weakened team following losing three of his teammates to Covid before the start of the race, it now seems clear that Ineos have the strongest team and should they be able to stay healthy, have every chance of pulling off a surprise victory.
Roglic however has been installed as the betting favourite with us at Betfred following the withdrawal of Evenepoel. His attacking instincts were there for all to see on Saturday when he led an attack to take time back from the then leader Evenepoel as he showed weakness but he was joined by the Ineos combination of Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart.
G is now as short as 3/1 to win the race whilst the 2020 winner of this race Geoghegan Hart is even shorter at 2/1 and is now the second favourite to win the Giro for a second time.
The romantic in me wants to say G at 3/1 is the best-price and I’m going to stick with it. The Welshman looked strong in the ITT and has shown that he still has the legs and could finally be about to win the race he’s looked destined to win a couple of times before.
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