Category: 
Over the past couple of years we seem to have lost a fortune on the Tour De France - mainly due to promising to refund bets on all cyclists failing a drugs test and being kicked of the Tour. We thought it would just be a bit of fun, but with whole teams being thrown out of the race in disgrace it turned into a costly joke (but that’s enough about the Paddy Power Marketing Department).
This year the beancounters have taken over and we’ve been ordered to take no chances. So we’re refunding all bets on Lance Armstrong to win the Tour if he fails a drug test and is ejected from the race. We reckon our money is safe - after all Lance has never failed a drug test in his life and the French cycling authorities are huge fans of the modest and humble Texan. What could possibly go wrong?
It is lucky we’re saving money on our Special because I firmly believe the 11/10 on Alberto Contador will see us giving plenty of money away to canny punters. The Spainard is back and has a point to prove both to the Tour organisers who kept him out of the 2008 race and to his team-mate Lance Armstrong. Armstrong has acheived everything a man possibly can in the world of cycling but up against Contador in the Tour there can only be one winner.
As a betting proposition the Tour is interesting because over three weeks of racing the best man almost inevitably wins - and the best man in this case is Contador. Only a crash or illness can stop him.
Elsewhere in the race Mark Cavendish (another shy, retiring type) goes for the Green jersey and has a real chance. His sprinting is certainly up to it, the only question is whether he can make his way over the mountains and all the way to Paris. Even money says he can!
July 1st, 2009 at 10:30 pm
cheers for the refund on rasmussen in 2007, nice €300 back on my double.
epo for paddy power.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
“Armstrong has acheived everything a man possibly can in the world of cycling ”
He hasn’t won a triple crown. Stevie Roche is one of two men to do so…
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Evs on Contador now - not as stupid as you look!
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
does anyone else think tom looks like andy murray?
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
yeah and a bit like napoleon krypatonite
July 9th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Lance is about to nail them
July 10th, 2009 at 5:50 am
money back just on armstrong! geez ur really stickin ur neck out NOT - considering he is clean or has beat the system for years. what a risk!!! if ur half reasonable u’d have the bet if any astana rider or the whole astana team is thrown out of the race - u’d refund.
i’m dissapointed at u having NO money back specials on the daily stages - u expect us punters to gamble on a stage, I DON’T THINK SO. anywas cav will be doing his dissappearing act from the tour soon, i’d be surprised if he gets past the alps if he wins another stage or 2. armstrong will finish top 3 or top 4 but he won’t win it. The CONtaDOR to fly highest.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:11 am
R Feillu on Bastille day to edge out THOR and Manx Cavendish.
28/1 VIVE LA FRANCE
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L’étendard sanglant est levé,
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !
July 17th, 2009 at 1:42 am
just thinking if Thor is to get Green he can win some intermediates in the mountains and maybe nick 1 or 2 on the 2 flat stages left, he’ll overtake cavendish and not finish too far behind him on the final stage into paris which cavendish will surely win to make it 5 stage wins providing he gets thro the alps - i still have my doubts as the toughest mountain week ever comes now and the race for GC should be a cracker - The Contador will basque (pun) in the mountains but cavendish will probably scrape thro the bus out the back. few hills on IOM I think, Speed mad what with the TT, cavendish is a great sprinter but seems a bit of a smug git - not exactly endearing himself to the peleton bar columbia team. sort of LOOK AT ME, and how he wouldn’t chat to bradley wiggins after the olympic debacle for 6 months. sorry mate but no one is bigger than the sport (no drugs yet!!!), ain’t that right Mr. ronaldo ??!!?? Thor has some of Sean Kelly in his cycling, very good over all terrain but what u gain there u giveaway on the sprints. 2 Greens Please for Thor Hushovd and a Norwegian Shirt to follow.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:44 am
Seems like your odds on cycling are like the Tardis. NOW YOU SEE IT NOW YOU DON’T. lol
I think some shops r bit like the Tardis. Strange noises inside and a multitude of screens and numbers and time passes very differently when in there.
All you need now is Tom Baker that old actor to do some ads for you.
A LABYRINTH OF BETTING INDEED! much like the Time-Space continuuuum thingie!
September 18th, 2009 at 10:00 am
the page paddypower.com/bet keeps crashing on me. im using ie7. the rest of the site is working ok. whats the problem?