LONDON, UK - Mark Cavendish has been installed as the hot favourite in early betting on the Olympic road race this summer. He is being offered at odds of 9/4 (bet £40 to make £90 profit) with Ladbrokes, who are currently the only firm to offer betting on the race.
Cavendish has said that he will be targetting the race as one of his main targets this year and the World Champion will not be lacking in support from the home crowd. However the course, with nine ascents of Box Hill in Surrey, is not necessarily best suited to Cavendish's riding skills and his odds don't look hugely generous.The 250 kilometre race (156 miles) is also relatively long for an Olympics event and although Cav won the 140k test event he may find the Olympics version harder work.
The Manxman will have the advantage of one of the largest support teams of fellow riders as Britain is now ranked as one of the top cycling nations but Cavendish was 4/1 to win the World Championships in Denmark and, if anything, the Olympics road race looks like a tougher test.
Other bookmakers can be expected to start opening their Olympics markets in the early summer, once likely teams are known. Cadel Evans has said he fancies riding in the Australian team for the event.
Ladbrokes also offer odds of 10/11 that Cavendish wins the green jersey for best sprinter in the 2012 Tour de France in his first season riding for Team Sky. Skybet offer odds of 11/10 that he goes on to break Eddie Merckx's record of 34 Tour stage wins and 4/6 that he fails to, although neither is a great bet as you have to wait a good deal of time to get paid out and so the value of your money has gone down considerably.
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