Yellow jersey, huge difference: The pay gap at the Tour de France remains massive

This marked difference is a hotly debated topic time and again. By way of comparison: the e-cycling platform MyWhoosh, which offers identical prize money for men and women in its competitions. There, both genders have the same chances of winning the same prizes.

Just a tenth of a second to win the Tour

In the 2025 men’s Tour de France, a total of around 2.3 million euros in prize money was awarded. The women’s race totalled just under 264,000 euros, which was around ten per cent of that sum.

The disparity is particularly striking in the battle for the yellow jersey. Pogacar received 500,000 euros for his overall victory. Vollering received 50,000 euros for her victory in the Tour de France Femmes.

The differences are also significant in the other classifications. The men’s Green Jersey comes with a prize of 25,000 euros, whilst the equivalent women’s classification offers just under 10,000 euros. Similar ratios apply to the mountains classification and the young rider classification.

Antonia Niedermaier as an example

The example of Antonia Niedermaier illustrates just how great the differences can be, even amongst outstanding performances. The 23-year-old German was one of the big surprises of the Tour de France Femmes. On her debut, she won the young rider classification, finished fourth in the general classification and thus brought the white jersey back to Germany.

For their performances, a total of around 12,860 euros in prize money went into the Canyon//SRAM team coffers. At first glance, that sounds like a respectable sum. However, when compared with the prize money in men’s cycling, it becomes clear just how far apart the figures are. Pogacar’s winner’s cheque for the Yellow Jersey alone was almost 39 times higher.

What’s more, in professional cycling, prize money is not usually kept entirely by the riders, but is shared within the team amongst support staff and teammates.

The organisers’ argument

The organisers regularly highlight the differences in the circumstances. The men’s Tour de France comprises 21 stages, attracts significantly higher viewing figures worldwide and generates correspondingly higher revenue. The Tour de France Femmes was only launched in 2022 and is still in a growth phase.

However, the difference in prize money is significantly greater than the difference in race duration. The women’s race now comprises nine stages and has become firmly established both in sporting terms and in the media. Nevertheless, the financial gap remains enormous.

Esports is committed to equality

Virtual cycling is breaking new ground. MyWhoosh divided the prize pool for its most recent championships equally between men and women. The regular Sunday Race Club competitions also operate on the same principle.

This enables female riders to earn prize money there that is difficult to achieve in traditional road cycling. The fact that even established WorldTour professionals such as Ashleigh Moolman Pasio continue to compete regularly in such events demonstrates the appeal of this model.

Progress with a question mark

Women’s cycling has made enormous strides in recent years. The Tour de France Femmes is growing, teams are becoming more professional, and media coverage is steadily increasing. In sporting terms, the race has long since proven that it deserves its place in the calendar.

When it comes to prize money, however, the Tour is still a long way from achieving equality. The Yellow Jersey holds the same sporting significance for both men and women. Its financial value, on the other hand, still differs drastically. Pogacar’s €500,000 and Vollering’s €50,000 highlight just how wide the pay gap remains in cycling’s biggest race. And Antonia Niedermaier’s success makes it clear that even exceptional performances in the women’s peloton have so far been rewarded far less generously than those of the men.