In recent weeks, there has been a constant discussion about the cyclocross schedules of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Tom Pidcock. In this scenario, the withdrawals of Van Aert and Pidcock from the World Cup have been frequently addressed.
The Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad has revealed the initial earnings that the main protagonists of Cyclocross receive.
Wout van Aert will start his cyclocross season this Saturday. Van Aert will kick off his Cyclocross season in Essen on Saturday, December 9, while Pidcock and Van der Poel will do so on December 16 (Herentals) and December 22 (Mol), respectively. Of course, all organizers aim to attract the “Big Three,” although the acquisition process is a bit more challenging. It’s worth noting that it’s the race organizers themselves who pay these amounts to the cyclists per race.
Van der Poel and Van Aert allegedly receive between 15,000 and 20,000 euros as an initial fee per Cyclocross race, according to Het Nieuwsblad, which consulted various “well-informed sources.” Pidcock gets around 10,000 euros.
Cyclists outside the World Tour spotlight
For example, Eli Iserbyt receives about 5,000 euros. Michael Vanthourenhout and Laurens Sweeck compete for around 4,500 euros. Another star like Thibau Nys receives 2,500 euros per Cyclocross race.
As we can see, the values vary considerably. However, it’s essential to remember that Van der Poel and Van Aert may cost more, but they attract a significant audience and sponsors to Cyclocross.