Giro d’Italia: Alberto Contador a huge cycling betting odds favorite

On your bike, mate! The stage race known as the Giro d’Italia starts this weekend as a prelude to July’s Tour de France.

Online sportsbooks have posted early odds on the latter, while JackpotFinder-recommended online sportsbook bet365 has a full table of outright winner lines for the Italian race already.

This one is definitely one for punters who favor underdogs: The big story in Italy and throughout the 2011 season will definitely be Alberto Contador. Though the Spaniard hasn’t won the Italian race since 2008, he begins this season coming off back-to-back Tour de France titles and is the most dominant racer in the field since Lance Armstrong.

In fact, in “General Classification” proposition betting for France, BetUS, Unibet and bet365 online sportsbooks are only offering wagering “without Alberto Contador.” (For the record, Unibet likes Andy Schleck at 1.70, Ivan Basso at 9.00, and Frank Schleck at 14.00 in that race; BetUS offers similar lines of 5/7, 8/1, and 10/1, respectively – none of the three will be participating in the Giro d’Italia.)

How confident are the experts in figuring Contador will win? Check out bet365’s “Outright Winner” table below, including all racers getting shorter than 50/1 odds.

Whether or not you like Contador’s chances, for in-race betting, stage bet proposition wagering, and in-race live betting, visit JackpotFinder-approved sportsbooks BetUS, bet365 and Unibet for punting the 2011 Giro d’Italia!