Best Cycling Betting Sites in the UK | Where to Bet on Cycling

Q: Can I bet on cycling?

Yes, betting on cycling is perfectly legal in the UK, unless you are heavily involved in professional cycling yourself and there’s the possibility you could influence events. Make sure you place any cycling bets at UKGC-licensed sports betting sites, though.

Q: What are the markets for cycling betting in the UK?

Sadly, there are few markets beyond betting on the winner when it comes to cycling gambling in the UK. You may also be able to bet on matchups where a betting site chooses two competitors and you have to correctly pick who will finish highest out of the pair.

Q: What is the best betting site for cycling?

We have chosen William Hill as the best site for cycling betting in the UK. Not only can you bet on outrights, you can bet each way with a quarter of the odds for a place in the top three. You can also bet on specials, such as teams winning a minimum number of events, or a rider winning at least one stage of the Tour de France.

Q: What is the Grand Tour in cycling betting?

The Grand Tour can refer to any one of the three major European pro cycling multi-stage events: The Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España.

Q: Is road cycling the only form of cycling I can bet on?

Predominantly, you will only be able to bet on road cycling races such as those listed on this page at cycling betting sites. There simply isn't enough interest in other forms of cycling for betting sites to accommodate them. An exception to this statement occurs during the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, where track cycling betting is also likely to be available.

Peter Addison

Senior Betting Writer

Updated: 11 March 2024

In this roundup of the best cycling betting sites in the UK, we’ll tell you where you can have a go at winning cash from your favourite sport. While cycling isn’t the most popular spectator sport in the UK (in comparison to football, rugby, and horse racing), it’s still a thriving interest. Here we’ll highlight the best places to bet, what markets and features are available and how to pick up a handy bonus or two.

Where to Bet on Cycling

We’ll start by freewheeling straight to our hand-picked list of ten cycling betting sites. These are the ones that we consider to be the best in Britain for their cycling coverage, markets, odds, and more.

William Hill – Best for its unbeatable range of cycling betting options
Bet365 – Offers bet boosts for cycling, stage match-ups and more
Betfred – Top-class coverage of the biggest cycling events
BetMGM – Bet on major races weeks in advance at decent odds
Ladbrokes – Useful for betting on big cycling competitions
10bet – Plenty of cycling markets, early odds and live betting
888sport – Has one of the best cycling betting apps in the business
Paddy Power – Power Prices and excellent coverage of global cycling
Grosvenor Sport – Stage Win Specials, Rider Specials and Stats
Coral – Extensive cycling markets, competitive odds and live betting

Our Top 5 Cycling Betting Sites in the UK

That serves as a quick introduction to the best cycling betting sites in the UK. But why stop there when you could get to know the strongest contenders in a bit more detail? Allow us to take you through our top five sites that are fully geared up for cycling gambling, and examine why we have selected them to appear on our list.

1. William Hill – Yellow Jersey for Being the Best All-Rounder

It was a tough choice to pick out a number one among the leading betting sites in the UK, but in the end, we have placed William Hill at the top of the podium. There must hardly be any sports betting enthusiast in the UK who hasn’t heard of William Hill. They have been one of the UK’s premier bookies for decades! Mr William Hill commenced operations in 1934, and although they are now owned by 888 Holdings, they remain a leading name in UK betting operations 90 years later!

But, why have we picked out William Hill as number one for cycling betting? Because William Hill provides more ‘interesting’ cycling wagering options than any other site. Just head to the cycling section here at any time of the year and you’ll see what we mean. There are normal betting options too, but for less common cycling bets and specials, William Hill easily comes out tops which is why it’s our number one.

What We Like:

Full coverage of all Grand Tours + UCI races
Plenty of inventive bets you won’t find elsewhere
Good bonuses and promotions

Room for Improvement:

Cycling coverage not as good as many other sports

Visit William Hill

2. Bet365 – Both Real Cycling Markets and Fantasy Matchups

Every fan of this sport understands that the options for cycling betting are never going to be as numerous as for, say, football, cricket or golf. The good news is that Bet365 works its wheels off to create cycling betting opportunities of its own. As far as real cycling is concerned, you’ll find it listed in the main bet365 menu. Multiple cycling events are covered, but most of the options are simple outrights.

One thing bet365 does provide more of are ‘fantasy’ match-ups for the big events. They pit rider against rider in a fantasy head-to-head. Your job is simply to bet on which one you think will finish the highest up the field. Bet365 also offers virtual cycling in the form of velodrome racing. Each race consists of eight virtual cyclists and races take place every three minutes, so get your bets on quick!

What We Like:

Good coverage of cycling with modest regular markets
Fantasy match-ups give you more betting opportunities
Excellent virtual cycling with races every three minutes

Room for Improvement:

Really ought to have more regular markets

Visit bet365

3. Betfred – Top-Class Coverage of the Biggest Cycling Events

Cycling was in its heyday when Fred Done established his first betting site in 1967 – these were the days of cycling legend Eddie Merckx after all. We can’t think that much betting on cycling took place at Fred Done’s fledgling betting shop in the 1960s. Fortunately, cycling wagering has improved a lot over the last 60 years or so, as you’ll see when you check out the options at the Betfred online betting site.

As with all sports at Betfred that are neither football nor horse racing, you have to go through the ‘A-Z’ menu to get to cycling. This just adds a couple of clicks to your cycling bets routine, so it’s not too painful. You will get the full range of Betfred’s cycling betting options, which concentrate chiefly on the Grand Tours. Most are for outright bets, but Betfred does offer each-way payouts on a top-three finish.

What We Like:

Bet each way on Grand Tours
You can bet each way for a top-three finish

Room for Improvement:

Coverage of more races would be great

Visit Betfred

4. BetMGM – Best for Betting on Major Races Weeks in Advance

You would think that cycling is a popular sport in the US with all those roads, but we’re guessing that Americans love their cars too much to switch to leg-powered transport. Or maybe they’re a bit embarrassed by the exploits of the leading US cyclist of all time, Lance Armstrong (and he only ever won two stages of the Tour de France, and nothing else). Whatever the case, you might well be wondering why we are championing an American site for cycling wagering in the UK.

Well, BetMGM is the UK version of the famous US legal sports betting arm of the MGM media empire. And it’s run in the UK by LeoVegas. While it does have a cycling section, we have to ‘moan’ that it’s not much better than Betfred in that it simply does not have as much coverage as we’d like. Even when compared to betting on basketball or snooker. What is here is good enough to warrant BetMGM a place on our top ten cycling wagering sites. We just wish there was more of it.

What We Like:

Top US sports brand provides enough cycling coverage to be of use
Has sufficient cycling betting options
Plenty of promotions

Room for Improvement:

An increased number of cycling betting options

Visit BetMGM

5. Ladbrokes – Useful for Betting on Big Cycling Competitions

Unless you’re brand new to betting, you’re probably noticing a theme here, because many of the sites on our top betting sites for cycling in the UK list are well-established names. That’s for the simple reason that most familiar sites in the UK are generally the best for cycling betting. Newer sites just don’t seem to bother that much. We are going to round off with the ‘familiar name’ theme here by making Ladbrokes as the fifth bookie on our list.

Ladbrokes has been around since 1886 which is longer even than the Paris-Roubaix has been running! Initially horse-racing betting only, Ladbrokes has continually expanded over the past 130 years and is now one of the biggest sites in the UK. Cycling coverage at Ladbrokes is on a par with Betfred in that. In other words, it’s perfectly adequate, but there is still room for improvement and there is a small number of sites that do it better!

What We Like:

Coverage of the Grand Tours with decent markets
Competitive odds in the cycling markets it provides
Some good bonuses and promos, albeit not specific to cycling

Room for Improvement:

Cycling coverage could be improved

Visit Ladbrokes

How Our Top-Rated Cycling Bookies Compare

Want to compare each of the sites just mentioned side by side? Then the table below will help you. We’ve picked out a few important factors that every top cycling betting site should have so that you can see which bookies pull their weight in each area.

Betting Site	Live Betting	Cash Out	Cycling Specials	Virtual Cycling
	✅	✅	✅	✅
	✅	✅	✅	✅
	✅	✅	✅	❌
	✅	✅	❌	❌
	✅	✅	✅	❌
	✅	✅	✅	❌
	✅	✅	❌	✅
	✅	✅	✅	✅
	✅	✅	✅	❌
	✅	✅	❌	❌

What We Look For at a Featured Cycling Betting Site

We know what you’re wondering… how did we decide which sites to include in our ‘best of’ list, and which sites to cast aside? Here are five things that we looked for and why.

Cycling Bonuses and Offers

You’d be a very lucky cyclist if you were to find any cycling-specific betting bonuses or offers at even the leading betting sites in the UK. However, when it’s time for a Grand Tour we always check by sites to see exactly what is on offer, and we champion sites that come up with any kind of useful bonus. Additionally, we also check to see if the bonuses and promotions normally offered by a site can be used on cycling with no restrictions.

Range of Cycling Bets

Coverage of cycling at some betting sites is practically non-existent. At others, you’ll find odds for Grand Tour races such as the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, and maybe the odd time trial or one-day race, but that’s about it. We obviously look for sites that are better than this with full coverage of as many UCI World Tour events as possible.

Cycling Betting Markets

It is not just the coverage of cycling at betting sites that can be a problem, it’s the range of markets available too. Merely average betting sites for cycling will only have outrights that allow you to bet on the winner of a race, stage or tour. We of course much prefer those betting sites that offer more useful cycling betting markets such as matchups, each-way and/or place bets and inventive specials.

Cycling Betting Odds

Betting sites can be a little lax on their odds when it comes to cycling betting. That’s because – at least in terms of betting – it’s still something of a niche sport. The good news is that, if you’re quick, you might be able to take advantage of odds that are unintentionally bigger than they should be. Quite apart from that, we always champion betting sites that have the best and most generous cycling odds.

Standout Features

Sadly we have to mention this again – there’s little about cycling at even the best betting sites in the UK that can be classed as ‘standout’. Of course, we still look around to see what we can find. One entertaining feature that is available at several sports betting sites in the UK is virtual cycling. This is simulated racing – usually a version of velodrome cycling – with each race having between six and eight riders. You can then bet on the races just as you would a real-world event. The beauty of virtual cycling, for those who like plenty of action, is that races commence every three minutes or so!

Cycling Betting Apps

We think – like many others – that all forms of cycling betting are more convenient to participate in when you are using a phone or tablet, rather than a desktop PC or laptop. Thanks to modern betting apps, mobile betting is easier than ever. Most of the sites on our list will provide you with an app that you can download to your Android or iOS-powered devices. Even if an app is not provided, you can access any betting site in the UK via a mobile browser.

Unfortunately, if you are looking for a betting app with live streaming of cycling, you’re going to be disappointed. We don’t know of any betting sites in the UK that currently offer live streaming of any cycling races, stages or tours. But if and when that changes, you can be sure we’ll let you know.

Cycling Betting Markets

There are not as many cycling betting markets as there are markets for other sports such as football or tennis. This reflects the sport’s relative lack of popularity as a spectator sport. Despite this, there are still quite a few markets available that will allow you to bet on cycling. The main ones you’ll encounter are as follows:

Race Winner

The most popular betting market, and the one most commonly offered by betting sites, revolves around the winner. Your task here is simply to bet on the cyclist you expect to win the race. In cycling bet terms, this market is often referred to as an outright.

Stage Winner

In cycling tours such as the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, the overall competition is split into different stages, and you can bet on each stage as if it were an individual race. This is ideal if you know that a hill-climbing cyclist is about to embark on a mountainous stage.

Place Finishes

Unlike horse racing or greyhound racing, there is no real definition of ‘places’ when it comes to a cycle race. Sites may offer place bets though, with the most common offer being a quarter of the odds for a top-three finish. Other offers may include cycling odds for a top ten finish, or even to end the race in the top sixty.

King of the Mountains

The ‘King of the Mountains’ award – along with a polka dot jersey – is given to the rider who achieves the best position over several selected, hilly stages of a cycling tour. You should be able to bet on the Mountain King for each of the Grand Tour events, which are the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España.

Match Ups

Some cycling betting sites will offer matchups for races and tours. Here a pair of riders will be selected and it will be up to you to correctly select the one who will place highest out of the pair. These matchups are purely theoretical for betting purposes and have no bearing on the race itself.

Special Bets

Special betting markets tend to be offered by the best cycling betting sites in the UK for big races. You might be asked to select a rider to win a minimum number of stages of a Grand Tour. Or for a team to finish in the top few places overall. These are just two common examples, so check out your bookmaker’s cycling betting odds page the next time a big race comes along to take a peek at what’s on offer.

Tips and Strategies for Betting on Cycling

If you are a cycling fan but are new to placing cycling bets, or if you are an established sports bettor who has not placed a wager on cycling before, then you may be looking for some cycling betting tips. Well, look no further! Here are some top tips for wagering on cycling as gleaned from our cycling betting experts.

Riders for Courses?
A bike is a bike and a rider is a rider; but there are a few different types of cyclists. For example, the UK’s Mark Cavendish is a sprinter and Chris Froome excelled at time trials. But Nairo Quintana eats up hills as if they were flat and Sylvain Chavanel was adept when it came to rolling terrain with steep, short climbs. Knowing the course and knowing the riders is important before you place your cycling bets.

Cycling Odds Can Be Generous
Predicting stage winners can be tough, particularly when a stage has a little bit of everything. This can work in your favour as the prices for stage winners are typically generous. You can win big if you spread your bets around a number of long-shots and one of them wins a stage, or if you get ‘lucky’ with a single bet.

Live Cycling Betting is Your Friend
Cycle races or cycle stages are long; most of them over 200 kilometers. With live cycling betting, you can easily keep track of the current state of the race and react accordingly. For example, you could have backed a long-priced rider who is currently ahead of the field. However, you sense they are tiring, so you can either cash-in your bet (for a reduced payout) or lay (bet against) them winning to recover your stake, should they fail to win.

The Best Cyclists are the Favourites
Although there can be well over 100 entrants into a race, there are only ever a handful of riders who are actually in with a chance of winning. This particularly applies to time trials and tours, where the best riders win far, far more often than not. This leads to a few riders with decent odds, and countless others at 50/1 or higher. It’s really not worth it betting on long-priced riders, as they are unlikely to even come close to winning.

The Best Cycling Betting Offers

The sad truth is that cycling betting offers are not seasonal. Most big cycling events take place in the spring and the early autumn, avoiding the winter and the heat of the summer. Most cycle events take place in Western Europe too. We suggest you check the sites we’ve mentioned on this page at the time of big events such as the Tour de France to see if any cycling betting bonuses are available.

In the meantime, here are three top betting site welcome bonuses that you can use on cycling when you sign up for an account at the site that is offering one.

William Hill – Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

This deal is not available to everyone, just anyone who happens to know about the promo code ‘R30’ that you have to enter when you register an account at our number one cycling betting site, William Hill. Once your account is active, make a minimum £10 deposit using a debit card then place a minimum £10 bet at odds of 1/2 (1.50) or greater. Once that bet has settled you will be awarded three £10 bets. Other terms and conditions apply, so check the site for details.

Bet365 – Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

This deal is open to anyone, and can incorporate betting on cycling. Just open up an account at bet365 and make a minimum deposit of £5 using a debit card, then place a bet up to £10 with minimum odds of 1/5 (1.20). You will receive a bonus worth 3 times your deposit as free bet credits once your initial bet has settled. You must use your free bet credits within 90 days of receiving them, but they come with no restrictions, other than the usual ‘stake not returned if used for a winning bet’.

Betfred – Bet £10 Get £40 in Bonuses

Another exclusive deal here – use the promo code ‘WELCOME40’ to gain up to £40 in Betfred bonuses for a £10 deposit and bet. Make that deposit within seven days of registering using a debit card then place a single £10 bet at odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater. Once that bet has settled you’ll receive £30 in free bets plus £10 in (50 x £0.20) free spins to use (if you choose) at the Betfred casino. Free bets can be used as you wish, but stakes are not returned when used, only any winnings.

Where to Find the Best Cycling Betting Odds

If you stick to the cycling betting sites that we have recommended, you’ll automatically enjoy some of the best cycling odds around. We have selected our sites based on several key factors, and having beneficial prices for cycling gambling markets is one of them. You are of course free to look for the best cycling betting odds yourself, but we think you’ll find our selections hard to beat.

To illustrate, here are the odds available

For example, here are just some of the odds currently available(as of 13:00 GMT, 01/07/24) on British cyclist Adam Yates winning the Tour de France 2024:

Betfred - 28/1
Paddy Power - 33/1
Bet365 - 33/1
10Bet - 28/1

Cycling Events and Races to Bet On

Non-cycling fans in the UK could name the Tour de France as a cycling race, and maybe the Tour of Britain (or the Giro d’Italia if they are showing off) but beyond that… it’d be like climbing a hill in eighth gear. To help you with your cycling betting ascent, we have listed a dozen top global cycling races and tours, and we aim to educate you a little about them all.

Tour de France Betting

The world’s most legendary and most-viewed cycling competition, the first Tour de France race took place in July 1903 and has largely been run every July since. The race now actually extends beyond France into Spain as well before finishing in Paris. The tour is run over 21 stages in 23 days. Four riders (Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain) have each won the tour five times.

Tour of Britain Betting

The Tour of Britain is an event with a chequered history that first took place - under that name - in 2004. Before then (from 1958, in fact) the tour was known as the ‘Milk Race’. However, the Milk Marketing Board ended their sponsorship of the tour in 1993. It was re-established in 2004 and now runs over eight legs in eight days. The only UK winners of the modern Tour of Britain are Bradley Wiggins and Steve Cummings.

Giro d’Italia Betting

It will not surprise you to learn (if you did not already know) that the Giro d’Italia is the Italian version of the Tour de France. The first tour began in 1909, and there have now been over one hundred runnings of the race. Just like the Tour de France, the race has 21 stages, covering most of Italy (and, on occasion, other nations as diverse as Northern Ireland and Denmark). Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx hold the lead for the most wins at five each.

Vuelta a España Betting

First France, then England, then Italy and now… Spain! The Vuelta a España is the leading cycling race in Spain that was first run in 1935. The race was held on an infrequent basis until 1955, and it has been run every year since taking in plenty of challenging routes across the country. Won three times by Brits (Chris Froome in 2011 and 2017, and Simon Yates in 2018) this race is now run every August and September.

Paris-Roubaix Betting

The Paris-Roubaix single-day road race is regarded as the greatest single-event road race in the global cycling calendar, first being run in 1896. Nicknamed ‘a Sunday in Hell’, this event takes place over rough terrain and streets lined with cobblestones. Until 1967 the race began in Paris but now begins in Compiègne, north-east of the French capital. Run in early April, this event is famous for mishaps such as in 1907 when a policeman stopped the race leader to check the bike’s tax disc.

Milan-San Remo Betting

Known as the ‘Spring Classic’, the Milan-San Remo (or Milano-Sanremo in Italian) is the longest single-day race in professional cycling, with entrants expected to complete the 185.2-mile course (298 km) in one day. The first event took place in 1907, and there have been over 100 races since. Legendary cycling Eddy Merckx of Belgium has won this event the most times, the last of his seven wins being in 1976.

Tour of Flanders Betting

Despite being named a tour, unlike the other tours on this list, this race is run in one day and is one of the five ‘monuments of cycling’ along with the Milan-San Remo and the Paris-Roubaix. This event takes place early in April each year and around the Flanders region of Belgium. Despite it being his home event, Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx only won it twice, in 1969 and 1975.

Amstel Gold Race Betting

The Amstel Gold Race is another premier one-day cycling event that’s run in April every year in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. The race was created in 1966 to rival similar races in Belgium and Italy and has been won a record five times by Dutch cyclist Jan Raas. The race has been sponsored by Dutch brewery Amstel ever since its inception. Each year the 250km+ race begins in Maastricht and finishes in either Vilt or Berg en Terblijt.

San Sebastian Classic Betting

Taking place every summer, this is Spain’s leading one-day race of around 230km over a very challenging and hilly course. This race is a loop, starting in San Sebastián and finishing in the same city’s centre. It was created as recently as 1981 and has been won a record three times by Spain’s Marino Lejarreta and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège Betting

Another classic one-day race, this cycling run has been held in Ardennes in Belgium since 1892. Initially from Spa and back (and going through Bastogne) the start and end of the race was moved to Liège in 1908. Known as La Doyenne (“The Old Lady”), the race is held in late April as part of the UCi World Tour and has been won a record five times by Eddy Merckx.

Strade Bianche Betting

One of the most modern classic one-day International races, the Strade Bianche is run every March in Tuscany, Italy and was first run as recently as 2007. The name is Italian for White Roads, which refers to the historic white gravel roads in the Crete Senesi. In 2023 Tom Pidock became the first UK cyclist to win this race.

Il Lombardia Betting

Also known as the Giro di Lombardia or the Tour of Lombardy, this one-day classic cycling race is run each year in early October around the Italian region of Lombardy (in Northern Italy, bordering France). The race covers around 240 km and the winners complete it usually in just under six hours. The first Giro di Lombardia took place in 1905, and it has been won a record five times by Fausto Coppi between 1946 and 1954.

UCI World Tour Betting

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) World Tour is the annual premier road cycling tour for men. Launched in 2009, the tour awards points for finishes in the following events, on a tier basis:

- Tour de France (France)
- Giro d’Italia (Italy), Vuelta a España (Spain)
- Tour Down Under (Australia), Paris-Nice (France), Tirreno-Adriatico (Italy), Tour de Romandie (Switzerland), Critérium du Dauphiné (France), Tour de Suisse (Switzerland)
- Volta a Catalunya (Spain), Tour of the Basque Country (Spain), Tour de Pologne (Poland), BinckBank Tour (Belgium/Netherlands)
- UAE Tour (UAE), Tour of Guangxi (China)
- Milan-San Remo (Italy), Gent-Wevelgem (Belgium), Tour of Flanders (Belgium), Paris-Roubaix (France), Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Belgium), Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (Canada), Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (Canada), Giro di Lombardia (Italy)
- E3 Harelbeke (Belgium), La Flèche Wallonne (Belgium), Clásica de San Sebastián (Spain), EuroEyes Cyclassics (Germany), GP Ouest-France (France)
- Great Ocean Road Race (Australia), Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Belgium), Strade Bianche (Italy), Dwars door Vlaanderen (Belgium), Eschborn-Frankfurt-Rund um den Finanzplatz (Germany), Three Days of Bruges-De Panne (Belgium)

The UCI World Tour was used as the main men’s cycling ranking series until 2018.

The Last Leg

By now you should be well on your way to becoming a bit of a cycling betting site expert. If you are already into betting on cycling, then we hope that the information we have presented here has proven to be useful. If you are a fan of competitive cycling who hasn't yet discovered the joys of betting on the sport, you can be confident that you now know the best sites to get started with. Happy pedalling!

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Peter Addison

Senior Betting Writer

Peter is one of the most well-known and well-respected names working in the field of online sports betting today. Having a Bachelor of Arts degree, Peter has worked for many high-profile publications in the industry, both online and in the real world. He joined the SafestBettingSites team in 2021 and has provided millions of words ever since. When not writing, Peter enjoys performing and writing music, gaming, reading and he is a massive movie buff, with a particular love of Japanese cinema and anime.

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Best Cycling Betting Sites UK for December 2024