"People would be surprised": Tim Wellens refutes rumours of sky-high salaries at UAE

UAE Team Emirates - XRG ranked top of the UCI ranking in 2025, scoring nearly double the amount of points compared to their closest rivals. Next to that, the team have scored 95 (97 if you count Mexican NCs) victories this season, comfortably surpassing the long-standing record of 86 triumphs achieved by Columbia-HTC in 2009. Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro were the main contributors, but over 20 different riders have contributed to the impressive record.

Among them Tim Wellens who got to raise his hands twice in 2025 - at the Belgian Championships, and in the stage 15 of Tour de France. Next to that, he was also present to many of his teammate's victories, playing a key part to the final product.

The crushing dominance of UAE, especially in smaller races where their team depth fully comes into the picture, is often attriubted to their "limitless" budget and ability to "overpay" on rider contracts, but is that really the case? Tim Wellens disagrees: "People still think: you sign with UAE, so you must be choosing the money. But people would be surprised by what we earn here," he told Het Nieuwsblad.

The 34-year-old Belgian joined UAE in 2023, after a decade of racing for Lotto. Next to a reportedly improved salary, his motivation was to race alongside the best riders in the world. "For me, money is not that important. It is worth a lot to me to go to a race feeling good about it and being happy within the team. The older I get, the more I realise that."

Wellens further emphasizes that money is not the pivotal reason for riders to choose one team over another. Of course, teams do whatever is within their possibilities to get the best riders on-board, but things often come down to having the right feeling.

Wellens recalls that in Lotto, riders were awarded more generously for team's performances. "When I rode for Lotto, André Greipel had a bonus system in his contract. When he won, the teammates automatically got extra money. I rode a Tour de France with him once and that was a huge amount of money."

But over the time, it came with a twist. "The sad thing was that, after a while, everyone started to see it as normal and forgot what a beautiful gesture it was."

The truth is that Wellens & co are not paid poorly at UAE, however teammates like Tadej Pogacar are what truly makes the difference. "Everyone has a contract and knows their role. We are all paid well enough to help. Does the guy who wins then have to reward the rest financially as well? For me, that is not necessary."

The praise that counts is simpler: "If you have done your job well, he will always give you a pat on the back and express his thanks. I think that is worth more than something financial." And, he adds, "In the Tour you do share in the prize money. That is not nothing."