Tour de France
Bookies slash odds on Lance
2009-07-07 10:32
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Man to beat? (Gallo Images)
Garrin LambleyCape Town - Leading bookmakers Ladbrokes have slashed their odds on Lance Armstrong adding to his seven Tour de France titles this year.
Armstrong, who was on offer at 5/1 to win a record eighth title after Stage 1's 15.5km individual time trial in which he finished 10th, can now be backed at 7/2 heading into Stage 4's
team time trial.
Armstrong, who found himself in a 27-man breakaway in Stage 3 that finished 41 seconds ahead of the peloton containing the remainder of the favourites for
overall victory, has moved into third place overall, some 40 seconds behind current yellow jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara and a mere seven seconds behind second-placed German Tony Martin.
More importantly, Armstrong is now the leading Astana rider, some 19 seconds ahead of pre-race favourite, Spain's Alberto Contador.
Contador however remains the bookies' favourite, at 4/5, to add to his lone Tour de France victory in
2007.
