Get ready to bet on top cycling contenders in the 2013 Tour de France!

The Tour of Britain was first contested in 1945 and has remained one of the biggest cycling fixtures ever since, but the ninth edition of the modern Tour is scheduled to run from Sunday 9th to Sunday 16th September 2012, and will cover an average of 170km during each stage. You can place bets throughout every stage of the race as the hazards and highlights come thick and fast in the battle to get the results required to finish top of the standings.

Betting on the second most grueling fixtures on the cycling calendar can get a little confusing for the average predictor, but, one thing you can bet on is that any rider hailing from the UK must be considered both a threat and a contender after their recent dominance and success in the Tour de France and the Olympic Games. Indeed, Team Sky's Chris Froome is 2nd favourite to top the final standings win the race, behind Spanish king Alberto Contador (1/2), at odds of 15/4.

Punters will be betting in earnest on every stage of the 2012 Tour de France and you can follow (and place bets on) every stage with leading UK online bookmaker 888sport. By the time we reach the final stages, millions of pounds will have been wagered by folks making predictions on the Tour which will take place without living legend & 7-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong, who will sadly not be making the fairytale comeback appearance more than just a few fans had been wishing for. Although the race is more than 100 years old, few have provided as many highlights as sir Lance.