Professional cycling relies on endurance, along with tactical abilities, and often yields unexpected victory outcomes. A surprising cycling winner emerged to astonish spectators and wagerers alongside prominent cycling racers. The uncommon successes disrupted betting lines at GGbet and other sportsbooks, while the cycling betting markets at GGbet continue to expand. Here are some of the most remarkable moments where upsets occurred in the history of professional cycling.
Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France Comeback
Betting markets indicated Greg LeMond was an outsider before the 1989 Tour de France started. Medical professionals issued a death sentence after a hunting accident in his previous two years, so he could never reach his peak athletic abilities again. Laurent Fignon held the title of main bettor’s pick in the Tour de France betting round.
LeMond became history by winning the time trial final stage in Paris. LeMond used his remarkable racing ability to overcome a 50-second deficit during his victorious performance, which ultimately resulted in an 8-second margin. The shocking final result took the sportsbooks by surprise because most punters had placed their wagers on Fignon, yet LeMond won the Tour by eight seconds, thus delivering big wins to brave bettors who chose him.
Michael Rasmussen’s Exit in 2007
The 2007 Tour de France leader, Michael Rasmussen, was the favorite bet among bettors because of his dominant position. The betting odds favored him after he succeeded in stage wins while holding the yellow jersey position. The withdrawal of Michael Rasmussen from racing occurred just before the finish of the race because his team alleged that he had lied about the locations of his drug tests.
The breaking news about Michael Rasmussen ruined numerous betting outcomes and produced disorder within cycling betting markets. Many bettors held winning tickets after they initially backed Alberto Contador and other main rivals of Michael Rasmussen in the 2007 Tour de France.
Chris Froome’s 2018 Giro d’Italia Attack
Chris Froome entered the 2018 Giro d’Italia with unfavorable circumstances at the start of the race. The initial slow performance of Froome caused a major shift in the general standings, which placed him behind most competitors. Numerous betting bookmakers released unsupportive predictions about Froome, which caused the Giro victory betting odds to increase.
Stage 19 marked Froome’s most remarkable solo attack since 80 kilometers remained in the race, and no other cyclist has matched such a performance in modern cycling. Froome became the Giro d’Italia winner when he acquired the prestigious pink jersey. The betting public achieved huge winnings after supporting his return against general skepticism of his ability to win.
Thomas Voeckler’s Yellow Jersey Surprise (2011)
At the beginning of the 2011 Tour de France, expert analysts omitted Thomas Voeckler among the possible leaders of the competition. His win in breakaways did not bring him recognition as a champion, and betting odds during competition were set against him. Stage nine brought unexpected conditions that enabled Thomas Voeckler to seize the yellow jersey, which he kept throughout ten days.
The unexpected performance of Thomas Voeckler at the Tour left both betting operators and enthusiasts in a state of shock, while his jersey winners gained considerable joy among those who had wagered on jersey or top-ten outcomes. Numerous cycling-specific bets from GGbet, along with other platforms, experienced abnormal betting patterns during that particular period.
Tadej Pogačar’s Last-Day Victory in 2020
The Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar gained victory during the final time trial of the 2020 Tour de France from Primož Roglič in a breathtaking finish. All major sportsbooks believed Roglič would win the race because he had maintained race leadership for almost fourteen days.
By running a remarkable race on the penultimate day, Pogačar changed his 57-second deficit to outright victory, which caught both Roglič and betting experts completely off guard. The victory not only transformed the future of Tour betting but also immediately established Pogačar as a famous cycling star.
