Chris Froome has already had his odds slashed for SPOTY
Bookmaker William Hill cuts Froome's odds after the Tour de France leader is left running up Mont Ventoux following a crash
Whenever a British cyclist wins a major event, fans and commentators immediately start talking about their chances in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards. Chris Froome may not have won today's stage of the Tour de France, but the chaotic scenes on Mont Ventoux that saw the yellow jersey running up the climb in the final kilometre have seen his odds for the SPOTY title cut by bookmaker William Hill.
Within an hour of the stage finish in which Froome lost time, only to be given it back by the race jury who gave him the same finish time as Trek's Bauke Mollema, his odds were cut from 20-1 to 16-1.
William Hill spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke said: “It could go down as one of the most iconic moments in Tour de France history. We think Froome’s sheer determination in the face of adversity will have won him many fans and he is still overwhelming favourite to win the yellow jersey.”
Froome has been nominated for the award before, but has never gained many votes from BBC watching general public who generally don't follow cycling.
The annual live TV event takes place every December and brings together the 'best' bits of British sport from the previous 12 months. The montage heavy show will have a shortlist of at least 12 athletes from different sports but generally leaves sports fans disappointed that their preferred sport/sportsperson wasn't given the credit they deserve.
Cyclists have however done well in SPOTY recently. Chris Hoy won in 2008, Mark Cavendish in 2011 and Bradley Wiggins in 2012
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.
-
TV coverage of a bike race can leave you with a strange impression of a country
TV footage is deceptive so choose your illusion wisely
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel dominates in Leuven to win Gravel World Championships
Dutchman solos to victory after dominant performance in the Flemish Brabant
By Joseph Lycett Published
-
Chris Froome misses out on Tour de France selection
39-year-old absent from Israel-Premier Tech's eight-rider roster
By Tom Davidson Published
-
A complete history of Ineos Grenadiers kits, from Adidas to Gobik, via Rapha
The British team switch to Gobik in 2024 after two years with Bioracer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Chris Froome's boss rubbishes claims bike fit is behind lack of results
'He can talk about his bike position until the cows come home - that's still not going to earn him a position on a Grand Tour team' says Israel-Premier Tech team owner Sylvan Adams
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Chris Froome, rim brake evangelist, 'warms to' disc brakes
The Israel-Premier Tech rider, also an investor at Factor Bikes, says that he has "way less problems" with discs these days
By Adam Becket Published
-
Is Chris Froome - in 2023 - a professional cyclist, or an influencer?
The seven-time Grand Tour winner hasn't raced since July, but has taken to being interesting on social media
By Adam Becket Published
-
Chris Froome 'absolutely not' worth multi-million euro salary says his team boss
The four-time Tour de France winner was not selected for this year's Tour de France for performance reasons, Israel-Premier Tech boss Sylvan Adams says
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Chris Froome not selected for Tour de France 2023
38-year-old misses out on 'ultimate goal' as Israel-Premier Tech confirm eight-man squad
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Back to Africa: Chris Froome on going back to his roots, his future and cycling's new generation
He’s come full circle, but is there time for another loop? We talk to the four-time Tour champ about his and African cycling’s future
By Adam Becket Published