Primož Roglič favored to win fourth Vuelta a España Red Jersey

Dean Etheridge
By , Updated on: Aug 15, 2024 12:00 AM
Black and white photo of a cycling race. A group of cyclists in helmets and racing gear are riding closely together. Barriers line the left side of the road, with partial text visible on them. Spectators can be seen in the background.

The final Grand Tour of the season is the 2024 Vuelta a España and in our latest cycling betting picks we look ahead to the race and tell you the best bets to place. The betting favorite is Primož Roglič at +180. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider is seeking to win the race for a record-equalling fourth time.

  • What: 2024 Vuelta a España
  • Start: Saturday, August 17th
  • Finish: Sunday, September 8th
  • Distance: 3265 km

Only Spain’s Roberto Heras has won more Vuelta’s than Primož Roglič. Heras has four titles, having won his national Grand Tour in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Roglic has three wins. The Slovenian won the Red Jersey in 2019, 2020, and 2021. A win this year will see him equal Heras as the most successful rider in the history of the race.

The 21-stage race starts in Portugal with a 12 km-individual time trial from Lisbon to Oeiras. The first three stages are in Portugal, with the race entering Spain on stage four, where it will remain until it finishes in Madrid with a second individual time trial.

Betting to win the 2024 Vuelta a España

A total of 22 teams have entered the race. But despite this, there is a lack of big names at the top of the betting.

Tadej Pogacar, winner of the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, has declined to attempt to complete the treble. There is also no Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, and no Remco Evenepoel, winner of the Vuelta in 2022.

The missing trio made up the podium of the 2024 Tour de France, and not having any of them on the start line in Lisbon is a big blow to the race organizers.

Another big-name absentee is Juan Ayuso. A plea by race director Javier Guillén to include the Spanish youngster fell on deaf ears, with UAE Team Emirates opting not to include the exciting prospect.

The schedule of the cycling season always hits the Vuelta, with the race coming so soon after the season’s pinnacle in France. But this year it has been dealt a double blow with the Paris Olympics also causing riders to skip the event.

The upshot is that three-time winner Primoz Roglic is the +180 favorite to win the race in the latest La Vuelta Cycling Betting Odds.

The defending champion, Sepp Kuss, is second in the betting at +500, with England’s Adam Yates the third favorite at +600.

Other riders coming in at under +1000 are Enric Mas Nicolau and Joao Almeida. Both can be backed to win at +650.

More odds are available on our 2024 Vuelta a España betting table. For our odds, we have only used the best sites for betting on cycling.

RiderBetOnlineBetUSBovada
Primoz Roglic+180+180+180
Sepp Kuss+500+500+500
Adam Yates+600+600+600
Enric Mas Nicolau+650+650+650
Joao Almeida+650+650+650
Mikel Landa+1400+1400+1400
Daniel Martinez+1800+1800+1800
Carlos Rodriguez+2000+2000+2000
Mattias Skjelmose+2200+2200+2200
Richard Carapaz+2500+2500+2500
Cian Uijtdebroeks+3300+3300+3300
Tao Geoghegan Hart+3300+3300+3300
Issac Del Toro+3300+3300+3300
Thymen Arensman+4000+4000+4000
Antonio Tiberi+5000+5000+5000

 

The favorite: Primož Roglič +180

With the form that Tadej Pogacar has been in this year, there is no way that Primož Roglič would be the favorite if the winner of both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France had decided to enter the Vuelta.

Furthermore, Pogacar was -165 to win the recent Tour de France, with his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard, at +200 second favorite.

Roglič was the third favorite to win the Tour de France at +800. But without the two Tour favorites lining up in Lisbon, Roglič is still only +180 to win.

You can’t help thinking he should be shorter given the veteran's track record in this race and the lack of top-quality GC rivals.

But the problem with Roglič is his form and fitness. His team says he is fit and ready to ride. But he fractured a vertebrae in his back in the recent Tour de France.

Since then, Roglič has been out of action. He missed the Clásica San Sebastián last Saturday, but it has been confirmed he has been training at altitude ahead of the Vuelta.

Given all the above, a bet on the Slovenian at +180 looks too risky.

Primož Roglič To Win 2024 Vuelta a España
BetUS
+180

The defending champion: Sepp Kuss

Sepp Kuss is +500 to win the race and defend the title he won last year.

When he won the 2023 edition, he was supposed to be supporting his then Jumbo–Visma team leader, Primož Roglič. But after finding himself in the lead, the team management decided to throw their support behind Kuss.

With Roglič departing the team for pastures new and Jonas Vingegaard not part of the 2024 team, Kuss will lead (now known as) Visma–Lease a Bike as he attempts to defend his title.

Sepp Kuss To Win 2024 Vuelta a España
BetUS
+500

The other contenders

Although he is well capable of winning this race, Adam Yates (+600) has just spent three weeks in the Tour de France supporting Tadej Pogacar, as has Joao Almeida (+650). The duo will lead UAE Team Emirates into the race.

Other names worth keeping an eye on are Mikel Landa, Richard Carapaz, Carlos Rodriguez, and Tao Geoghegan Hart.

Landa has been in good form this season. The lack of big names gives Landa a chance to land a Grand Tour. Richard Carapaz is a former winner of the Giro (2019), as is Geoghegan Hart (2020). So both have the pedigree required.

Spain’s Carlos Rodriguez finished a credible seventh in the Tour de France. Whether his legs have recovered enough is debatable. But at cycling betting odds of +2000, he may be worth a small wager.

Our betting picks to win the 2024 Vuelta a España

There are no stand-out riders in the 2024 Vuelta, so we are going for a couple of outside bets.

Tao Geoghegan Hart was due to lead his Lidl-Trek team in the Tour de France but had to pull out after injuries and Covid. He is well-rested and will be looking to make up for that disappointment in Spain.

Tao Geoghegan Hart To Win 2024 Vuelta a España
BetOnline
+3300

We are also having a bet on Mikel Landa. The 34-year-old Spaniard finished fifth in the race last year and also recorded a fifth-placed finish in the recent Tour de France.

Mikel Landa To Win 2024 Vuelta a España
BetOnline
+1400

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Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean is an experienced freelance content writer who honed his skills by writing for his own football betting website for over 15 years. In more recent times, Dean has extended his sports writing portfolio to cover a whole host of other sports including golf, tennis,...

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