Tour De France

King of the Mountains

If you're not that enthusiastic about cycling but are such a gambling addict that you just have to find something to bet on in an uneventful week, then you might do well to check out the King of the Mountains Wikipedia page. Now that you know what it is, here's a look at the key contenders:

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Christophe Moreau
The thirty seven year old French rider topped the mountain classification on two occasions in 2006, (Dauphiné Libéré and Volta a Catalunya) and was the overall winner of the Dauphiné Libéré in 2007. Ten of the last fourteen winners of the polka dot jersey have been French.

Leonardo Piepoli
Piepoli was King of the Mountains in the 2007 Giro d'Italia but is yet to claim a stage of the Tour de France. Claudio Chiappucci was the last Italian to claim the polka dot jersey, winning in 1991 and 1992. However, like Piepoli, Chiapucci was King of the Mountains of the Giro d'Italia in the year prior to his first success at the Tour de France.

Best of the rest...

Samuel Sanchez
The Spaniard won the Championnat de Zürich in 2006 and has recorded five stage wins in the Vuelta a España. A proven rider in hilly classics, Sanchez has an outside chance.

Rémy Di Gregorio
Di Gregorio topped the mountains classification in the 2007 Dauphiné Libéré in his only major success to date. At only twenty two, the Italian is surely too young to take the jersey.

Alejandro Valverde
Valverde is famed for being an all rounder, excelling in time trials, sprinting and climbing. Valverde has already won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Spanish National Road Race in 2008. May well challenge in the overall standings but is an outside bet to be King of the Mountain.

07/07/08

King of the Mountains, best odds