Tour de France: Froome extends lead as dominance shows no end
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With just a handful of stages remaining in this year’s Tour de France, only a disastrous stroke of misfortune can deny Chris Froome a third Tour victory.
The Team Sky rider has dominated the fight – if there ever was one – for the Yellow Jersey, and the two-time champion extended his lead on Stage 17.
Froome holds an advantage of 2 minutes and 27 seconds over Dutchman Bauke Mollema, and the bookies understandably have the 31-year-old at heavy odds-on of 1/33 to claim his third Tour de France title.
The Kenyan-born rider is a 14/1 shot for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and given his sublime dominance on the Tour this year, Froome could be the latest cyclist to claim the annual accolade.
Back on the Tour and fellow Brit Adam Yates is still on course for a stunning podium and White Jersey double, but the Orica-BikeExchange rider must keep an eye on his 34 seconds advantage over fourth place Nairo Quintana.
Yates is 1/8 to bag the Young Rider classification, while it’s Evens the 24-year-old can hold on to that podium place in the outright battle.
Colombian Quintana was tipped by many to seriously challenge Froome this year, having come so close 12 months ago, but at no point on the Tour has the Team Movistar looked like offering a threat.
Rafal Majka is the 1/20 favourite to be crowned King of the Mountains, with the only real fight to still be decided being of the team event.
Team Movistar hold a 2 minute and 20 seconds lead over Team Sky, but with a trio of mountain stages still to come this week, the bookies can’t call it with each team at 10/11.
Sky have never bagged the Team Classification, while Movistar are the reigning champions.
With most of the Jerseys seemingly decided, the attention now turns to who wins the Team battle.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
