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Who are the world’s highest-paid cyclists in 2026? Pogacar on top; INEOS overpaying; Seixas far from the top

Cycling
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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 at the 2026 Vuelta a España
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?

The 50 biggest WorldTour contracts

PositionRiderTeamAgeSalaryContract
1Tadej PogačarUAE Team Emirates-XRG28€8.2m2032
2Remco EvenepoelRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe26€6.6m2028
3Jonas VingegaardVisma | Lease a Bike29€5m2028
4Mathieu van der PoelAlpecin-Premier Tech31€4m2028
5Primož RogličRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe37€4m2026
6Wout van AertVisma | Lease a Bike32€4m—
7Jasper PhilipsenAlpecin-Premier Tech28€3.2m2028
8Oscar OnleyNetcompany INEOS24€3.1m2029
9Olav KooijDecathlon CMA CGM25€3m2028
10Juan AyusoLidl-Trek24€3m2030
11Christophe LaporteVisma | Lease a Bike33€2.8m2029
12Adam YatesUAE Team Emirates-XRG34€2.7m2028
13Egan BernalNetcompany INEOS29€2.5m2029
14Carlos RodríguezNetcompany INEOS25€2.5m2027
15Mads PedersenLidl-Trek30€2.5m2029
16Tao Geoghegan HartLidl-Trek31€2.5m2026
17Jai HindleyRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe30€2.5m2028
18João AlmeidaUAE Team Emirates-XRG28€2.5m2028
19Richard CarapazEF Education-EasyPost33€2.3m2028
20Mattias SkjelmoseLidl-Trek26€2.3m2028
21Jonathan MilanLidl-Trek26€2.3m2029
22Florian LipowitzRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe26€2.2m2029
23Matthew BrennanVisma | Lease a Bike21€2.2m2029
24Jhonatan NarváezUAE Team Emirates-XRG29€2.2m2029
25Sepp KussVisma | Lease a Bike32€2.2m2027
26Lenny MartinezBahrain Victorious23€2m2027
27Filippo GannaNetcompany INEOS30€2m2027
28Biniam GirmayNSN Cycling Team26€2m2028
29Aleksandr VlasovRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe30€2m2027
30Maxim van GilsRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe26€2m2027
31Isaac del ToroUAE Team Emirates-XRG22€2m2031
32Ben O'ConnorJayco AlUla30€1.9m2026
33Brandon McNultyUAE Team Emirates-XRG28€1.9m2030
34Tobias Lund AndresenDecathlon CMA CGM24€1.8m2028
35Felix GallDecathlon CMA CGM28€1.8m2026
36Enric MasMovistar Team31€1.7m2029
37Axel ZingleVisma | Lease a Bike27€1.7m2027
38Tim MerlierSoudal Quick-Step34€1.7m2028
39Arnaud de LieLotto Intermarché24€1.7m2026
40Paul LapeiraDecathlon CMA CGM26€1.7m2027
41Orluis AularMovistar Team30€1.6m2028
42Kaden GrovesAlpecin-Premier Tech27€1.5m2026
43Laurence PithieRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe24€1.4m2027
44Benoît CosnefroyUAE Team Emirates-XRG31€1.4m2028
45Magnus SheffieldNetcompany INEOS24€1.4m2026
46Dorian GodonNetcompany INEOS30€1.4m2028
47Sam WelsfordNetcompany INEOS30€1.4m2026
48Tim WellensUAE Team Emirates-XRG35€1.3m2027
49Matthew RiccitelloDecathlon CMA CGM24€1.3m2028
50Thymen ArensmanNetcompany INEOS26€1.3m2027
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