Money talks–especially in sports. As budgets and star salaries in the pro peloton continue to rise, critics say that makes competition less equal and the sport harder to access for smaller teams. Recently, there have been some interesting reports on the financial state of affairs in cycling, which point to the growing disparity between squads.
The skinny on the dough
According to UCI figures cited by CyclingUpToDate, the traditional 18-team WorldTour saw total budgets climb. They went from €473 million (around CAD 700 million) in 2023 to €570 million (CAD 844 million) in 2025.
With the inclusion of two ProTeams guaranteed entry to all major races, the projected combined budget for 20 teams in 2026 is a big ole €663 million (CAD 980 million). That raises the average budget per team from €31.6 million (CAD 47 million) to €33.1 million (CAD 49 million).
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Visma – Lease a Bike operate near €50 million (CAD 74 million). Meanwhile, Lidl-Trek, Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, and INEOS Grenadiers are around €45 million (CAD 67 million).
Salaries
Speaking of Vimsa, in a recent podcast former pros Bjarne Riis and Brian Holm thought Tour de France winner, Jonas Vingegaard could probably earn twice as much if he switched teams. They said nearly every top squad in the WorldTour would be eager to sign a two-time Tour champion.
In terms of the surge in budgets, it’s not just in the men’s pro peloton, either. Women’s WorldTour squads are seeing similar growth. Combined budgets increased from €46 million (CAD 68 million) in 2023 to €70 million (CAD 104 million) in 2025. (Across 15 teams.) Projections for 2026 put total budgets at €80 million (CAD 118 million) despite a slight reduction to 14 teams.
Salaries are the main expense.
According to CyclingUpToDate, self-employed riders average €654,000 (CAD 968,000) in 2026, while employed riders earn around €384,000 (CAD 568,000). The UCI distinguishes between riders on standard contracts — who have taxes handled by the team — and self-employed stars who pay their own taxes, often based in tax-friendly locations such as Monaco or Andorra, saving more of their cashola.
Top riders earn eye-catching sums. La Gazzetta notes world champ Tadej Pogačar makes around €8 million (CAD 11.8 million) annually, while Remco Evenepoel’s move to Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe reportedly cost €20 million (CAD 29.6 million), including buyout and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…