Tadej Pogačar leads professional cycling’s financial hierarchy by earning a gross salary of €8.2 million per season under a contract running through 2032 with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, according to data published by Cycling Up To Date.
Who leads the peloton’s top contracts?
Pogačar holds an unassailable position at the top of the earnings ranking, sitting €1.6 million ahead of second-placed Remco Evenepoel. Evenepoel earns €6.6 million at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe under a contract contracted through 2028. Jonas Vingegaard occupies third place, earning €5 million a year at Visma | Lease a Bike with an agreement running until 2028.
Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert, and Primož Roglič follow on €4 million each. Van der Poel is contracted to Alpecin-Premier Tech until 2028, Roglič earns his salary at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe under a deal expiring in 2026, and Van Aert holds a lifetime deal with Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Which teams invest the most in rider salaries?
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, and Netcompany INEOS house several of the sport’s best-paid athletes. Netcompany INEOS features eight riders among the top 50 earners in the peloton despite placing eighth in the UCI rankings. Oscar Onley leads INEOS with a €3.1 million salary, while Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodríguez each earn €2.5 million a year.
Other squads focus heavily on securing young talent before riders reach their physical peaks. Matthew Brennan ranks 23rd at age 21 on a €2.2 million salary with Visma | Lease a Bike locked in until 2029. Isaac del Toro earns €2 million under a contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG running until 2031.
How do sprinter and specialist wages compare?
Among sprinters and specialists, Jasper Philipsen ranks seventh overall with a €3.2 million salary at Alpecin-Premier Tech. Olav Kooij and Tobias Lund Andresen earn €3 million and €1.8 million respectively at Decathlon CMA CGM Team. Mads Pedersen earns €2.5 million at Lidl-Trek, while Filippo Ganna and Biniam Girmay earn €2 million each at Netcompany INEOS and NSN Cycling Team.
What questions remain about rider salaries?
Why do some lower-ranked teams feature high earners?
Netcompany INEOS places eight riders in the top 50 despite an eighth-place UCI ranking because contracts often reflect long-term investments, past victories, and commercial value rather than immediate seasonal results.
How do young prospects enter the earnings ranking?
Riders like Matthew Brennan and Isaac del Toro secure high-value long-term contracts early in their careers based on projected development rather than established Grand Tour victories.
Are these salary figures exact?
Market estimates and published salaries represent calculated figures that should be treated with caution, as actual compensation packages often include performance bonuses and private sponsorship agreements.
Worth a look