The Tour de France is the largest cycling race and tournament in the world, recognisable by even non-cycling fans the world over. Since the first race back in 1903 the Tour de France has grown immensely not only in terms of the number of cyclists entering but also in the sheer number of fans who line the course cheering on their chosen hero. The very nature of the race allows for numerous betting options and with free bets available from Betfair and Skybet there is no better time to place a bet on this unique event. The 2009 Tour de France will be the 96th race since its creation back in 1903 and this year there will be 189 riders, spread across 21 teams, who will be pushing themselves to the very limit in order to be crowned the champion and take with it a piece of a huge prize pool and the coveted yellow jersey. The cyclists will have to be at the peak of their physical performance for the whole 23 days, during which time they will cycle an astonishing 3,500km with only two rest days allowed! You can bet that these two rest days will be savoured! This year there will be 10 flat sections, 5 mountain passes and 4 medium mountain sections for the competitors to tackle.

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Any climbing section is given a rating of 1-4 with four being the easiest and one being the most difficult. In this year’s event there will be a total of 19 sections that have been given a rating of 1-2, one of the most difficult yet. Not only will the cyclists have to push themselves and their bikes harder than ever, the teams will also have to employ some smart strategies to stay one step ahead of their rivals at all times. Anyone who wants to be crowned as champion will have to master these mountain sections as it is extremely difficult to make time upon the flat sections of the course. Last years winner, Alberto Contador Velasco, took the honours having finished a mere 23 seconds quicker than his nearest rival over the 23 days, less than one second gained per day! Each section is basically a separate race and the times achieved added up cumulatively which leads to some exciting sprint finishes. Both Betfair and Skybet are offering free bets which can be used to bet on a wide range of options during the whole Tour de France. You can use your free bets to select the fastest rider in each section or maybe you’d prefer to bet on who will finish in the top five places and of course who will be crowned 2009 Tour de France champion. The current favourites for the title and ultimaate Yellow Jersey winner are Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde, Lance Armstrong and Denis Menchov.