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Olympic Cycling: Road Race Time Trials

Following Jack Houghton's advice would have left you in profit after cycling's road races. Here, he looks ahead to the Time Trials where the odds-on favourite is the Swiss competitor Fabian Cancellara.

Men's Time Trial - Wednesday 06:00 BST

Whilst our main bet for the Road Race, Alejandro Valverde, finished down the field in 13th, those following our advice would still have shown a profit by backing [16.0] shot and eventual winner, Samuel Sanchez. But whereas that race looked complex in the extreme, the 48km Time Trial looks a more straightforward proposition.

Fabian Cancellara, World Time Trial Champion for the last two years, is current favourite, trading at around the [1.7] mark. He was incredibly impressive in the Road Race, riding across a gap in the last 5km to catch a breakaway and claim bronze. However, although that demonstrated his well-being and ability to cope with the air and humidity of Beijing, [1.7] is incredibly short for a rider who is far from dominant in the Time Trial. I recommend laying Cancellara at that price for a liability of 50 per cent of your stake.

Stefan Schumacher consistently bettered Cancellara in this year's Tour De France. Winning both time trials, Schumacher took a total of 54 seconds out of Cancellara across 80km and, given the same conditions here, you would expect him to do likewise. However, the course is very different to those flat time trials of the Tour, with riders negotiating two of the 23.8km hilly loops used in the Road Race. Furthermore, Schumacher withdrew from the Road Race suffering from a headache; caused, he presumed, by the humidity and pollution. That won't inspire punters with confidence, but at [5.3], it is worth having ten percent of your stake on this masterful trialist.

Cadel Evans now looks likely to take his place in the field after a knee injury scare, but it is his team-mate, three-time World Time Trial Champion Michael Rogers, who appeals most as a betting proposition. He's had a quiet time since breaking his collar bone in a fall in the 2007 Tour just as he was about to claim the Yellow Jersey. A bout of glandular fever kept him on the sidelines for three months after that, but he is coming back into form at the right time. Fourth in Athens, Rogers hasn't had the brutal year of many of his competitors and his 6th place in the Road Race demonstrated his wellbeing and ability to handle the local conditions. I'd recommend backing him for 20 percent of your stake at [19.0] or bigger.

Completing your portfolio of bets should be Levi Leipheimer and Santiago Botero. Leipheimer is a solid climber and trialist. He beat Cadel Evans by 51 seconds in the Cognac time trial stage of the 2007 Tour and his 11th here in the Road Race demonstrates his aptitude for local conditions. I recommend ten per cent of your stake supports him at [20.0] or bigger.

I thought for much of the Road Race that Botero was going to deliver on our recommended [150.0] bet, but he could only manage 7th. Nonetheless, he is clearly in great form and the course will suit the 2002 World Time Trial Champion. I recommend ten per cent of your stake supports him at [21.0] or bigger.

Women's Time Trial - Wednesday 04:30 BST

On the back of her gold in the Road Race, many will look to support Nicole Cooke to follow up in the Time Trial. However, she is on record as saying how much that win took out of her, and given she is not as strong in the time trial discipline, I would look elsewhere for the likely winner.

Many will look to last year's World Championship as a form line for this race. Hanka Kupfernagel won in front of a home crowd that day, beating Kristin Armstrong by 23 seconds. These two are favourites to take gold on Wednesday morning and Armstrong certainly demonstrated her form and ability to handle conditions in Beijing when finishing only 43 seconds behind Cooke in the Road Race. However, that Stuttgart World Championship result was achieved on a relatively flat, urban course; very different to the challenge of the 23.5km hilly loop they face here. Their odds of around [3.5] look on the short side to me.

At much bigger prices are Christianne Soeder and Jeannie Longo. Soeder was fourth in the Road Race here and third in last year's Time Trial World Championship. The course and conditions obviously suit and I'd recommend 20 per cent of your stake on her at [6.0] or bigger.

It's rare to tip up a 49-year old veteran of seven Olympics, but Longo - Road Race gold medallist in 1996 - was only 33 seconds behind Cooke this time round and is clearly revelling in the environment. I'd recommend having 20 per cent of your stake on her at [12.0] or bigger.

Although I think Cooke will struggle to repeat her victory in the Road Race, another Britain, Emma Pooley, looks to have a great chance to get the double up. In that Road Race, Pooley impressed with her attacks on the climbs, stringing out the field and contributing massively to Cooke's eventual win. What's more, Pooley is a solid trialist, finishing eighth in last year's World Championship. On a course and in conditions that clearly suit, I recommend having 60 per cent of your stake on her at [12.0] or bigger.

Here is a summary of Jack's advice: