Who are the world’s highest-paid cyclists in 2026? Pogacar on top; INEOS overpaying; Seixas far from the top
Cycling
The cycling market continues to move millions, and the salaries of the peloton’s leading stars show just how much the sport’s financial landscape has changed. Tadej Pogacar tops the 2026 list of the 50 highest-paid riders, with an estimated gross annual salary of €8.2 million, putting him well ahead of the rest.
The Slovenian once again confirms his status as the sport’s leading figure, both on the road and commercially, in a discipline that demands ever-greater investment.
The ranking compiled by How to Turn Pro lists gross base salaries for the 2026 season, before tax and excluding bonuses, prize money, and income from personal sponsors - they are estimates. It also distinguishes between published figures, media estimates, and amounts calculated using models, an important detail when interpreting the differences between riders. Not all contracts are equally transparent, so some figures should be treated as approximations.
Beyond Pogacar’s dominance, the list highlights the financial differences between the leading World Tour teams, the importance of long-term contracts, and the value teams place on particular rider profiles.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Netcompany INEOS each have several riders among the best paid, while other teams have also made major investments in young talent.
Pogacar, Evenepoel and Vingegaard lead the million-euro elite
Tadej Pogacar holds an almost unassailable position at the top of the ranking. The UAE Team Emirates XRG leader earns €8.2 million gross per season and is under contract until 2032. His lead over second-placed Remco Evenepoel is €1.6 million.
The Belgian earns €6.6 million at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and is contracted through 2028, making him the peloton’s second-biggest financial draw. Both riders combine top-level performances with strong media appeal and enormous commercial value for their teams.
Jonas Vingegaard occupies third place, earning €5 million a year at Visma | Lease a Bike under a contract that runs until 2028. The Dane’s results in Grand Tours and status as Pogacar’s main rival over three weeks secure his place among the sport’s top earners.
Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert and Primoz Roglic follow on €4 million each. The Dutchman is contracted to Alpecin-Premier Tech until 2028, while the Slovenian earns the same amount at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe under a deal that expires in 2026. Van Aert has a lifetime deal with Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Tadej Pogacar ranks as the best-paid rider in the peloton
INEOS features many of the best paid in the peloton
Netcompany INEOS, according to the estimate, has eight of the best-paid 50 riders in the peloton, despite only placing eighth in the UCI rankings. Oscar Onley ranks out as the team's top rider, earning €3.1 million. Both Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodríguez, two riders who have not performed over the past few years as they had in the past, earn €2.5 million euros a year.
Filippo Ganna, who is now departing the team mid-contract towards Lidl-Trek, would be earning €2 million a year. Similarly, the also mid-contract departing Sam Welsford would've been earning up to €1.4 million a year and is part of the Top 50.
Aside from these, several other riders are featured in the list, with Dorian Godon and Magnus Sheffield (who is leaving towards Uno-X Mobility) earning €1.4 million a year alongside Welsford, whilst Thymen Arensman is also part of the Top 50 with €1.3 million a year.
Paul Seixas not part of the rankings
Paul Seixas signed a deal with Decathlon CMA CGM Team at the start of 2025, and hence his salary is not reported as being part of the Top 50, taking into consideration how his potential at the time was nowhere near his current position in the peloton. An estimate, but Seixas should enter the rankings immediately with a position in the Top 5 once there is an update on the numbers.
His teammates Olav Kooij and Tobias Lund Andresen are very prominently featured, however, as two of the best-paid sprinters on the peloton, having signed with the French team with salaries of €3 and €1.8 million, respectively.
Matthew Brennan’s position also stands out. At just 21, he ranks 23rd on €2.2 million. Visma - Lease a Bike has secured his future until 2029, a deal that underlines the importance of retaining young talent before it reaches its sporting peak. Isaac del Toro is another example: he ranks 21st among riders by team and 31st overall, earning €2 million and contracted to UAE Team Emirates-XRG until 2031. The Mexican is one of the peloton’s brightest prospects, and his salary reflects the expectations surrounding his development, which came to fruition in 2026.
Among the specialists, Jasper Philipsen also stands out in seventh place on €3.2 million, while Mads Pedersen earns €2.5 million at Lidl-Trek. Filippo Ganna earns €2 million, as does Biniam Girmay at NSN Cycling Team. Other riders, including Jonathan Milan (€2.3 million), Florian Lipowitz (€2.2 million), Lenny Martinez (€2 million), and Felix Gall (€1.8 million), complete a line-up of established winners, young prospects, and riders yet to fulfil their potential. By team, Netcompany INEOS has eight representatives in the top 50, while UAE Team Emirates XRG and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also feature prominently.
The standings show where professional cycling’s biggest investments are concentrated, but they do not directly reflect results on the road. Some contracts reward long careers, others reflect future potential, and several account for the commercial value of high-profile riders.
Differences between published salaries and market estimates also mean the figures should be treated with caution. Pogačar dominates both on and off the road, but the situations behind him are far more varied. The question remains: does the list of the 50 highest-paid riders in 2026 really show who the peloton’s best riders are, or does it also reflect expectations, potential and each rider’s marketing power?
Read also
The 50 biggest WorldTour contracts
| Position | Rider | Team | Age | Salary | Contract |
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 28 | €8.2m | 2032 |
| 2 | Remco Evenepoel | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 26 | €6.6m | 2028 |
| 3 | Jonas Vingegaard | Visma | Lease a Bike | 29 | €5m | 2028 |
| 4 | Mathieu van der Poel | Alpecin-Premier Tech | 31 | €4m | 2028 |
| 5 | Primož Roglič | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 37 | €4m | 2026 |
| 6 | Wout van Aert | Visma | Lease a Bike | 32 | €4m | — |
| 7 | Jasper Philipsen | Alpecin-Premier Tech | 28 | €3.2m | 2028 |
| 8 | Oscar Onley | Netcompany INEOS | 24 | €3.1m | 2029 |
| 9 | Olav Kooij | Decathlon CMA CGM | 25 | €3m | 2028 |
| 10 | Juan Ayuso | Lidl-Trek | 24 | €3m | 2030 |
| 11 | Christophe Laporte | Visma | Lease a Bike | 33 | €2.8m | 2029 |
| 12 | Adam Yates | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 34 | €2.7m | 2028 |
| 13 | Egan Bernal | Netcompany INEOS | 29 | €2.5m | 2029 |
| 14 | Carlos Rodríguez | Netcompany INEOS | 25 | €2.5m | 2027 |
| 15 | Mads Pedersen | Lidl-Trek | 30 | €2.5m | 2029 |
| 16 | Tao Geoghegan Hart | Lidl-Trek | 31 | €2.5m | 2026 |
| 17 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 30 | €2.5m | 2028 |
| 18 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 28 | €2.5m | 2028 |
| 19 | Richard Carapaz | EF Education-EasyPost | 33 | €2.3m | 2028 |
| 20 | Mattias Skjelmose | Lidl-Trek | 26 | €2.3m | 2028 |
| 21 | Jonathan Milan | Lidl-Trek | 26 | €2.3m | 2029 |
| 22 | Florian Lipowitz | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 26 | €2.2m | 2029 |
| 23 | Matthew Brennan | Visma | Lease a Bike | 21 | €2.2m | 2029 |
| 24 | Jhonatan Narváez | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 29 | €2.2m | 2029 |
| 25 | Sepp Kuss | Visma | Lease a Bike | 32 | €2.2m | 2027 |
| 26 | Lenny Martinez | Bahrain Victorious | 23 | €2m | 2027 |
| 27 | Filippo Ganna | Netcompany INEOS | 30 | €2m | 2027 |
| 28 | Biniam Girmay | NSN Cycling Team | 26 | €2m | 2028 |
| 29 | Aleksandr Vlasov | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 30 | €2m | 2027 |
| 30 | Maxim van Gils | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 26 | €2m | 2027 |
| 31 | Isaac del Toro | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 22 | €2m | 2031 |
| 32 | Ben O'Connor | Jayco AlUla | 30 | €1.9m | 2026 |
| 33 | Brandon McNulty | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 28 | €1.9m | 2030 |
| 34 | Tobias Lund Andresen | Decathlon CMA CGM | 24 | €1.8m | 2028 |
| 35 | Felix Gall | Decathlon CMA CGM | 28 | €1.8m | 2026 |
| 36 | Enric Mas | Movistar Team | 31 | €1.7m | 2029 |
| 37 | Axel Zingle | Visma | Lease a Bike | 27 | €1.7m | 2027 |
| 38 | Tim Merlier | Soudal Quick-Step | 34 | €1.7m | 2028 |
| 39 | Arnaud de Lie | Lotto Intermarché | 24 | €1.7m | 2026 |
| 40 | Paul Lapeira | Decathlon CMA CGM | 26 | €1.7m | 2027 |
| 41 | Orluis Aular | Movistar Team | 30 | €1.6m | 2028 |
| 42 | Kaden Groves | Alpecin-Premier Tech | 27 | €1.5m | 2026 |
| 43 | Laurence Pithie | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 24 | €1.4m | 2027 |
| 44 | Benoît Cosnefroy | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 31 | €1.4m | 2028 |
| 45 | Magnus Sheffield | Netcompany INEOS | 24 | €1.4m | 2026 |
| 46 | Dorian Godon | Netcompany INEOS | 30 | €1.4m | 2028 |
| 47 | Sam Welsford | Netcompany INEOS | 30 | €1.4m | 2026 |
| 48 | Tim Wellens | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 35 | €1.3m | 2027 |
| 49 | Matthew Riccitello | Decathlon CMA CGM | 24 | €1.3m | 2028 |
| 50 | Thymen Arensman | Netcompany INEOS | 26 | €1.3m | 2027 |

Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Arensman is their best rider and he is paid very less in comparisonabstractengineer13-11-2026
- I'm not trying to argue with you but if you didn't see Del Toro struggling in the Tour I'll pay for some glasses for you lol. He struggled so much that Tadej missed winning stage 15, Tadej also dropped the pace along some stages to help Del Toro hold onto the podium. Now he may have been sick, that is a possibility, but he definitely struggled. You have a nice weekend as well brother.awp13-11-2026
- Im not copmaring him to jonas palmares...but current level of power and again like you even pointed out 19sec difference and on other ocassions del toro dropping him. Its evidently their close and based on both their different trajectory its self explanatory...where we are next year.And Del Toro didnt struggle if getting a podium in his first TDF at 22 year old is struggling you sure dont know how to be objective haha. But have a good weekend this is so dumb to discuss as its not even a discussin in reality as facts speak for themselves of what were actually speaking of - and self explanatory.miguel13-11-2026
- fingers crossed. my son has a poster of wout and mathieu battling each other at the beach at ostend up in his room. would be great to see them again there!Ketterechts13-11-2026
- This Giro is very strange in it's circular route. If you were to have stage starting in Trieste and ending atop Monte Zoncolan (end stage 20) you'd get a stage only 145 km long
Rafionain-Glas13-11-2026 - When Thomas gets the bullet from INEOS he can get a job as a comedian.
Senna196013-11-2026 - Right on. The more the merrier.Occam13-11-2026
- Remember, Del Toro struggled in this Tour. He is great, no doubt about that, but comparing him to a four time gt winner is absurd at this point. He has the potential. We'll have to see how he develops.awp13-11-2026
- what did Jonas gift and to whom? just curious, haven’t heard about this.mij13-11-2026
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