The financial landscape of professional cycling continues to evolve, with top salaries having risen significantly in recent years. The Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport took a closer look at this and compiled a salary ranking in January 2026. The newspaper refers to the official UCI figures, which journalists from the Gazzetta had exclusive access to. Cyclingnews.com has been able to verify the figures, according to his own statement.
Overall, the average WorldTour team budget for men has risen from 31.1 million to 33.1 million euros within one year. In 2023, the average budget was probably still €26.2 million. However, the average is distorted by a few very successful teams, such as Team UAE Emirates - XRG, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Ineos Grenadiers. These teams have a budget of around 50 million euros and can logically pay their riders better. According to an estimate by Cyclingnews.com Team UAE Emirates - XRG is said to spend around 30 million euros on salaries alone. Unsurprisingly, Tadej Pogačar remains at the top of the earnings list with an annual base salary of 8 million euros. This could rise to over 10 million euros due to various bonuses.
Average salary of WorldTour riders
By comparison, the average salary of a self-employed WorldTour rider is 654,000 euros. However, this figure is heavily influenced by the high salaries of the top earners. Looking at the median, i.e. the value that divides salaries into the top and bottom 50 per cent, this becomes quite clear. The median salary of self-employed drivers is only 350,000 euros. This means that 50 per cent of self-employed drivers earn 350,000 euros or less and 50 per cent earn 350,000 euros or more. However, this figure leaves open the question of how "little" the bottom 50 per cent of self-employed WorldTour riders actually earn. According to Domestique Cycling, the minimum salary for riders in this employment category is said to be €72,404. Permanently employed riders earn significantly less: the minimum salary is said to be around €44,150, with the median being €216,000.
Female professional cyclists continue to earn less
The salary gap between male and female professional cyclists persists and is already evident in the minimum salaries: For employed female riders, the minimum salary is 38,000 euros. The minimum salary for self-employed female riders is 62,320 euros. Nevertheless, there are signs of improvement in women's cycling. Some top female riders are approaching the million euro mark, which indicates a positive development. Demi Volleringone of last season's most successful riders, is said to have negotiated a salary of just under one million euros when she moved from Team SD Worx - Protime to FDJ-Suez 2025. Her former team-mate Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini from UAE Team ADQ are estimated to have earned around 900,000 euros a year last season. This development shows that although women's cycling is making progress in terms of remuneration, it still lags well behind men. However, experts see a positive trend and expect that salaries in women's cycling will continue to rise in the coming years.
The salaries of the top 10 earners in professional cycling in 2026
- Tadej Pogačar - approx. 8 million euros
- Remco Evenepoel - approx. 6.6 million euros
- Jonas Vingegaard - approx. 5 million euros
- Mathieu van der Poel - approx. 4 million euros
- Wout van Aert - approx. 4 million euros
- Primož Roglič - approx. 4 million euros
- Thomas Pidcock - approx. 2.7 million euros
- Adam Yates - approx. 2.7 million euros
- Egan Bernal - approx. 2.5 million euros
- Carlos Rodríguez - approx. 2.5 million euros
Alongside Pogačar, the best-paid riders in the peloton include Remco Evenepoel from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe with an annual salary of around 6.6 million euros and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), who earns around 5 million euros. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Premier Tech), Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) follow with €4 million each. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) then take seventh and eighth place with around €2.7 million. Finally, riders Egan Bernal from INEOS Grenadiers and Carlos Rodríguez from Netcompany INEOS complete the top 10 with €2.5 million each.
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
