Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert... How much prize money did cycling’s biggest stars earn in the Spring Classics?
CyclingMonday, 27 April 2026 at 21:30
The Spring Classics are usually judged on victories and monuments, but the prize money standings offer a more precise breakdown of where the biggest moments of the season were decided. Across the cobbled-classics block and into the Ardennes, the numbers track directly with the races that mattered most.
At the top, Tadej Pogacar collected €99,000 after one of the most complete spring campaigns in recent history. Victories at Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège form the backbone of that total, with a runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix adding another major payout. Winning four of the biggest races on the calendar, then finishing second in a fifth, created a gap no one else could match.
Consistency keeps Van der Poel closest
Behind him, Mathieu van der Poel finished on €72,500. His win at the E3 Saxo Classic provided a major share, but it was his repeated presence deep into races like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix that sustained his total. Even without converting a Monument, consistent top-level performances across the cobbled classics ensured he remained the closest challenger.
Roubaix carries Van Aert into the top three
For Wout van Aert, €45,900 is built around one defining result. His Paris-Roubaix victory, decided in a two-rider sprint against Pogacar inside the velodrome, accounts for the largest portion of his earnings. Compared to the two riders above him, a lighter spread of results across the rest of the spring leaves a clear gap in the standings.
Van Aert beat Pogacar in a thrilling finale at Paris-Roubaix
Seixas breakthrough reflected in the numbers
Paul Seixas sits fourth on €34,750 after a breakthrough Ardennes campaign. His victory at Flèche Wallonne, delivered on the Mur de Huy, combined with a standout second place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège behind Pogacar, was enough to push the 19-year-old into the top tier despite limited impact during the cobbled-classics phase.
Sprint wins and targeted results shape the rest
Just behind, Jasper Philipsen reached €32,880, anchored by his win at Nokere Koerse and additional sprint results in races that returned to bunch finishes. Remco Evenepoel sits on €31,000 after winning Amstel Gold Race, a race that carries one of the larger prize purses in the Ardennes block.
Dylan Groenewegen accumulated €23,515 through repeated sprint opportunities across the calendar, while Jasper Stuyven, Filippo Ganna and Christophe Laporte round out the top ten through a mix of high placings and selective results across both cobbled and flat races.
What the numbers say about the Spring Classics
The prize money standings do not change the narrative of the spring, but they sharpen it. The biggest races still define the season, and the riders who win them consistently separate themselves quickly.
Pogacar’s total reflects four Monument-level victories and a runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel’s comes from constant presence in decisive moments. Van Aert’s is anchored by one race that carries enormous weight. Seixas breaks into that group through a single, high-value Ardennes win.
Taken together, the numbers show how concentrated the opportunities are across the Spring Classics, and how quickly those who take them can define the entire season.
Spring Classics 2026 Prize Money Top-10
| Rider | Team | Prize Money |
| Tadej Pogacar | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | €99,000 |
| Mathieu van der Poel | Alpecin-Premier Tech | €72,500 |
| Wout van Aert | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | €45,900 |
| Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | €34,750 |
| Jasper Philipsen | Alpecin-Premier Tech | €32,880 |
| Remco Evenepoel | Soudal - Quick-Step | €31,000 |
| Dylan Groenewegen | Unibet ROSE Rockets | €23,515 |
| Jasper Stuyven | Soudal - Quick-Step | €18,800 |
| Filippo Ganna | INEOS Grenadiers | €16,000 |
| Christophe Laporte | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | €13,100 |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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