Tour de France 2021

Known world over, the Tour de France is to cycling what the Superbowl is to American Football. Everybody pays attention to it, and every cyclist dreams of riding it. Past winners of the race have become household names. One could say that the popularity of cycling as a sport is largely due to the influence of the Tour de France.

With this year’s event taking place in its traditional timeslot of July (the 2020 edition occurred later in the year due to the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic), the fans and riders are looking forward to conditions one would normally associate with the Tour. Whilst last year was disrupted due to Covid-19, 2021 has afforded riders the familiarity they would desire when preparing for the world’s largest stage race. The 2020 Tour was dominated by the Slovenian duo of Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. This year however there is a strong contingent of riders who are hoping to prevent a repeat performance and write their own names in cycling history.

History of the Tour

The Tour de France, or simply ‘The Tour’ as we know it first took place in 1903. It was conceived as a means to promote the French newspaper L’Auto. The iconic yellow jersey associated with the Tour de France (affectionately known as the Maillot Jaune) is in reference to the yellow pages that L’Auto was printed on. The idea of the initial event was for participants to compete in an endurance cycling race that would travel through various parts of France. The winner would be the rider who completed the distance in the shortest amount of time. Over the years the race has evolved into the event we are familiar with today.

The race takes place over 3 weeks, and consists of a combination of mountainous, sprint and time trial stages. The race culminates with a final stage run in to Paris. While this stage is traditionally a procession for the overall winner of the race, the sprinters and their teams all vie for glory on the iconic Champs-Elysees. The list of winners of the Tour de France is long and prestigious. Leading the way in number of victories with 5 a piece is Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault. In more recent times, Briton Chris Froome has been the most successful Tour rider with 4 victories to his name.

Classifications

In the Tour de France there a few classifications that riders target. The most prestigious is the general classification or GC. The winner is the rider who completes the race in the least accumulated time. During the race the rider who is leading this category wears the yellow jersey. The green jersey refers to the points classification. Riders receive points for high placed finishes and in intermediate sprints. The rider with the most accumulated points at the end of the race is the winner. The climber’s jersey is represented by the polka dot jersey.

Riders secure points according to their position over every categorised climb. The more difficult the climb, the more points that are on offer. The rider with the most attributed to them at the end of the race is the winner. In some instances, the winner of the GC holds the polka dot classification too. Lastly the white jersey goes to the best placed GC rider who is under the age of 26. The previous two winners of the overall race, Egan Bernal and Tadej Pogacar both won the white jersey too. Could this be a sign of the times perhaps?

2021 Tour Contenders

Both Pogacar and Roglic were the standout performers during last year’s race. The spectacular fashion with which Pogacar claimed victory on the second last stage will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it. None more so than for Roglic, who slipped to second on that fateful day… This year both riders have shown that they are in the form to fight for the win. While neither have raced much in the past few months, both have won significant stage races this year- Roglic the Tour of the Basque Country and Pogacar the Tirreno- Adriatico. It would be foolish to bet against either of these two for the overall win.

One of the contenders in the mix this year is Geraint Thomas, the 2018 winner and 2019 runner up. Thomas has looked in good form recently. With high placed finishes in multiple races, along with the win in the Tour of Romandie. Richard Carapaz, the 2019 Giro d’Italia winner and teammate of Thomas has also shown good form this year winning the Tour de Suisse. Paired with a strong Ineos team, both Thomas and Carapaz could be the closest threat to the Slovenians.

Who are the other contenders?

French world champion Julian Alaphilippe has stated his intent this year as well. While not a traditional GC contender, he will fancy his chance. Another rider to consider is the veteran Rigoberto Uran. The 2017 runner up has shown some solid form of late, and a good result wouldn’t come as a surprise this year. While both the Movistar climbing sensation, Miguel Angel Lopez and Michael Woods of Israel Start-Up Nation perhaps lack the time trial prowess required for this year’s race, they will nevertheless be aiming for a high position in the GC.

Other outsiders to consider would be David Gaudu, Enric Mas and Jack Haig. While not outright favourites, any of these three could realistically find themselves on the podium after the final stage on the 18^th of July.

Entertainment to the end

Having the 2021 event decided on the penultimate day, it would be naive to think that this year will be any less exciting. Can Tadej Pogacar make it back-to-back victories, will Peter Sagan reclaim the green jersey he has won a record 7 times, who will win the prestigious final stage in Paris? These are all questions we will be looking to have answered this July. The cycling circus is back in town- time to buckle up and enjoy.

If you are interested in betting on the Tour De France and not sure which bookie to bet with, head on over to our Best Betting Sites page for in-depth reviews of the top online betting sites in South Africa.

Rising Star Garrick Higgo

And at 22 years of age Garrick Higgo has become accustomed to winning. Last week he won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree with a small dose of luck and plenty of talent. It was his first win in the PGA TOUR in his first non major start. Higgo is a powerful left hander and he competed in his first US OPEN this past weekend. He only had 2 days to prep for a completely new course. John Rahm walked away with the win this time around with Louis Oosthuizen a close second.

PGA Golf Championship

Arriving at the PGA Championship with two wins in his last three starts on the European Tour which were both in the Canary Islands. One of the most recent remarkable memories is his hole -in-one. This was in the final round of the Canary Islands Championship which is also his third European Tour title in just 26 starts. No one in Europe has won that much that quickly since 1990. 

Tokyo

The Olympic games are set to start on 23 July and the final date for qualifying is on 21 June. With Garrick Higgo soaring to 39th on the Official World Golf Ranking he may be a probable pick for South Africa to take part in the Games. Higgo’s climb on the world list is a result of his triumph on the PGA Tour last week in the Palmetto Championship in South Carolina. He climbed a whopping 15 places since his latest victory. At the current moment Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa’s top ranked player, will be wearing the green and gold in Tokyo. 

The Big Easy Tour

The Big Easy Tour is a developmental circuit in South Africa. This is where Garrick Higgo won in his debut. Next up for grabs was his first Sunshine Tour which ended in another victory. Just before the pandemic shut down golf he won another Sunshine Tour. And as we know has won 3 times in European Tour since Golf resumed. Higgo won the 2020 Open de Portugal and the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open as well as the Canary Islands Championship in 2021. 

A big motivator in Higgo’s life has been Gary Player, a well known South African legend. He has been mentoring him from a very young age and they often meet up to discuss course as well as play strategies. Higgo attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and turned professional in his sophomore year. Higgo is part of a thriving group of South African golfers. South Africa hasn’t had more than eight players at the PGA Championship in the last five years and there were only 3 in the field 20 years ago. This year we have a record number 11 players who will be flying the flag high for S.A. 

Here are some fun facts about our newest golfing sensation: 

• Matching Tiger Woods’ record for the fewest number of events, Higgo became the fastest South African to three European Tour wins (excluding Majors & World Golf Championships).
• At 18 he was South Africa’s number- one ranked amateur in 2017. 
• Higgo attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2017 & 2018 where he majored in hospitality management before then ending his studies to concentrate on golf. 
• He represented the International Team in the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup. 
• Higgo turned professional in 2019, winning twice in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour – Sun City Challenge and Tour Championship. 

Garrick Higgo is definitely a rising star and therefore deserves his spot in the top 10 South African golfers.

South Africa’s top 10 golfers:

1. Louis Oosthuizen 18 
2. Garrick Higgo 39 
3. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 
4. Branden Grace 71 
5. Daniel van Tonder 80 
6. Erik van Rooyen 86 
7. Dylan Frittelli 89 
8. Brandon Stone 90 
9. Dean Burmester 91 
10. George Coetzee 101

Are you ready for some more golf with South African’s rising star Garrick Higgo? We definitely are! If you are interested in betting on golf have furthermore a look at our detailed reviews of the South Africa’s best betting sites. 

Betfred acquires Betting World

UK bookmaker Betfred just acquired Phumelela subsidiary Betting World for R120 million. This takeover will allow Betfred to enter the South African betting market. It could also mean for us punters another great choice for sports betting and games.

Background

The past year has been very difficult for many business around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the companies that was hit hard within the sports betting industry in South Africa is Phumelela Gaming and Leisure. In summer 2020 Phumelela suspended its trading on the JSE. It went into administration and therefore its assets were placed under bankruptcy protection.

While Betfred initially intended to acquire the entire Phumelela business their bid for taking over the racecourse was not successful. Instead the administrators decided to accept a deal by the private investment fund Mary Oppenheimer Daughters (MOD). But Betfred did not give up. With yesterdays news that Betfred acquires Betting World the UK bookmaker can now enter the SA betting market after all.

About Betting World

Betting World is a fully licensed SA bookmaker. The company holds a license by the Gauteng Gambling Board since 2005. Aside from betting branches in Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape punters can also enjoy betting online at bettingworld.co.za. It is one of the leading bookmakers in South Africa but recently suffered from the struggles of its holding company.

In addition, the online offering can not compete with the likes of Hollywood Bets or World Sports Betting. While the sports betting offering is ok Betting World is nowhere near its competitors for games. Without Betgames, Live Games or Lucky Numbers on offer there are far better sites around these days.

About Betfred

Betfred is a well-know UK bookmaker with a long and successful history. Since it was first established in 1967 it has grown into one of the biggest household names in the UK gambling industry. The group has over 1600 shops and a varied online offering. In addition, it is one of the biggest sponsors of horse racing in the UK while also sponsoring teams in rugby, snooker and football.

Outlook

While its the end of the race for Phumelela Gaming the entry of Betfred SA can be a good one for the South African betting market. The Manchester based bookie prides itself for its world class betting and games offering. Over the next weeks and month we will see how Betfred will reshape the current Betting World offer. If they manage to come up with a similar or even better offering than Betway punters will surely have a great experience. In addition, another big name will mean an even wider choice for South African players. We are excited to see what Betfred SA will come up with.

In the meantime have a look at the currently available best betting sites to make your choice for sports betting and more.

Update: Betfred is further expanding its presence in South Africa. In June 2022 Betfred has partnered with LottoStar by buying a majority share and the formerly family run business.