LONDON, UK - A small number of bookmakers have started offering odds on the 2012 Olympic road race and it is no surprise to see Mark Cavendish head the market.
The Team Sky rider dominated the sprints in the Tour de France last year and is currently performing well at the Giro d'Italia, although he can count himself unlucky not to have secured two more victories after crash marred finales to a couple of stages. Cavendish is on offer at best odds of 9/4 (bet £4 to make £9 profit) with bet365 and Stan James.
Punters must ask themselves "is this a value bet?". In the sprint stages of the Tour de France and the Giro the Manxman is usually on offer at odds between 11/10 and 6/4. But the London Olympics course is generally said to not be particularly favour Cavendish and that may be the reason why his odds are longer. However he will be fully supported by his British teammates and they also happen to almost all be his Team Sky team mates, which means that they will probably be able to dominate and control much of the road race. As we saw at the Worlds when Cavendish took the rainbow jersey on a course that was assumed not to suit his talents, if he is near the front in the final kilometre then it is likely that he wins the race.
Next in the betting is Philippe Gilbert at best odds of 7/1 with Paddy Power. The Belgian had an incredible 2011 season but since moving to BMC for the 2012 season he has not been at his best, having a disappointing set of results in the Spring Classics. He is hard to fancy at this stage but if he gets back to his best in the Tour then he'll be an obvious threat, especially supported by a full strength Belgian team.
Fabian Cancellara is third favourite at best odds of 8/1 with Stan James and he is the reigning Olympic gold medal holder. A four times rainbow jersey victor, the Swiss rider could never be dismissed as a challenger but he suffered a four part collarbone fracture in the Tour of Flanders and that has to be a worry for his supporters.
Peter Sagan is next in the betting at 9/1 with Skybet and Paddy Power but the Slovak will suffer from his lack of a supporting team. He will have to be at the very top of his form to win in London.
Next in the bookies' lists are Edvald Boasson Hagen and Thor Hushovd, both at 10/1 with Skybet and Paddy Power, followed by Tom Boonen at 12/1 with Skybet and Andre Greipel at 14/1 with Stan James.
Outsiders who might be value include Matt Goss at 16/1 with Stan James. So far this season he has looked to be the only rider with similar strength to Cavendish and his odds look relatively generous, especially given the Aussies have a strong team. If Cav crashed then he would be right up there on my list of riders I would fancy.
The up and coming German youngster Marcel Kittel is joint fourth favourite at 9/1 with Paddy Power, although several bookmakers don't even list him in their markets. His victory in the 2012 Scheldeprijs over Greipel and Farrar was impressive but he feels more like a 33/1 shot, especially in a relatively weak German team, than someone towards the head of the betting market.
The Olympics men's road race is on July 28, starting at 10am.
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