After a rest day, Carcassonne to Foix brings the riders to the Pyrenees for the 16th stage of the 2022 Tour de France.
The stage kicks off on Tuesday, July 19, and will mark the first three days in the mountains, leading the riders across the road bordering France and Spain.
Stage 15 Ending
Beginning in Carcassonne, which hosted the ending of Stage 15, the race will head towards the first of two four categorized climbs, the Côte de Saint-Hilaire and the Col de l’Espinas, Category 4 and 3, respectively.
Although climbs, they’re fairly minor compared to what the cycling schedule holds in store later, offering riders a chance to break away from the rest ahead of the intense battle in the coming days.
But who will be the most successful rider of Stage 16, and who are the best bets at the offered cycling betting odds? We’ll answer that and more in this betting preview.
Carcassonne to Foix Betting Picks
Tadej Pogačar
Stage 16 is the first of Pogačar’s three chances to claw back some time on Vingegaswrd before the final time trial on Saturday. Although it won’t be an easy task, it is definitely achievable.
That is not only because Pogačar is an elite-level rider but mainly because his main competitor has been struggling of late.
He has shown cracks in recent stages and has not looked nearly as dominant since taking the yellow jersey in Stage 11.
Pogačar Will Be Isolated
Moreover, the current leader now has fewer teammates to protect him and will be isolated following the Rest Day – at least relative to how it was before.
Everything seems to be going in Pogačar’s favor, and while he has a lot of time to make up for, Stage 16 will be an excellent chance for him.
Still, the Slovenian needs to use his explosive power across Stage 16 climbs and at the Stage 17 summit finish.
Thibaut Pinot
The cycling betting odds show Thibaut Pinot as the second favorite to win Stage 16, and in this Carcassonne to Foix betting analysis, we can’t argue with that.
He is in excellent form and is widely known as one of the best climbers, but as the odds would suggest, he is not quite as good as Pogačar.
Still, he had his moments in the Tour de France, mainly in Stage 9 and Stage 14, in which he finished fourth and third, respectively.
Stage 15 Performance Recap
Still, he could only manage a 50th-place finish in Stager 15 ahead of the break, which now sits him in the 17th spot on the overall standings.
Like Pogačar, Pinot has a lot of catching up to do, but considering his climbing ability, the Frenchman should be in the mix to compete for a strong finish in Stage 16.
Daniel Martinez
Daniel Martinez has had a rough start to the Tour de France and has yet to find his momentum. Currently, no. 41 is in the standings.
Martinez’s best result came in Stage 8, in which he finishes eighth, and has since managed just one top-20, in Stage 14.
Similar to Pinot, Martinez has not emerged as one of the candidates to win Tour de France, but he is an excellent climber and a threat in Stage 16.
Martinez’s Chances To Win
But there are many “what ifs” when we talk about Martinez’s chances to win Stage 16, namely whether he will manage to defeat Pinot, and even if he does it, Martinez still needs to outperform Pogačar which is easier said than done.
Regardless, we can’t ignore the fact that Martinez won the National Road Championship time trial, was first in Tour of the Basque Country, and claimed two bronze medals from Paris-Nice, and Volta ao Algarve.
Carcassonne to Foix Betting Pick and Prediction
There are many great riders entering Stage 16 of the Tour de France and more than a few who have a realistic chance to win.
But at the offered price and his cycling stats, we can’t look past Tadej Pogačar as the main favorite to win his third stage of the race. He already looked good in Stage 6 and Stage 7 and has had some moments of greatness since then.
Now he has found himself in a spot where he can reduce the gap between himself and Jonas Vingegaard, and knowing that Stage 16 will suit Pogačar more than any other rider in the field.
It’s fair to assume he will grab this opportunity with both hands. At the offered cycling betting odds, Tadej Pogačar is an easy pick to win Stage 16.
Cycling Pick: Tadej Pogačar (+190)
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