The values associated with cycling have always been an enigma. This remains true when it comes to cyclists’ salaries, but the UCI has provided details about the budgets of WorldTour teams.
Total World Tour Budget
Naturally, everyone had to submit a budget to the international cycling association before 2024, and the Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad managed to obtain it, giving a good idea of how much money is involved in cycling.
Not directly by team, but the totals. These numbers show that the total budget of the eighteen WorldTour teams combined is 499 million Euros.
Average Team Budgets
The budget for WorldTour teams has been increasing for a few years, rising from 379 million Euros in 2021 to the current 499 million Euros.
The average budget of a WorldTour team is 28 million Euros. This picture is somewhat distorted as there are some major teams that significantly exceed this value (UAE Team Emirates, INEOS Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a Bike, and recently also Lidl-Trek).
Of this budget, 72% goes to the team (where athletes receive the majority). 13% is allocated to logistics-related matters and the remaining 55 staff members (on average) per team (likely including flights but also Training Camps).
Average and Median Salaries
The average salary of a WorldTour cyclist is 449,000 Euros. This picture is also a bit distorted because it includes big winners like Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar, who earn millions and elevate these figures.
Median
When we look at the median salary, excluding the big stars of the World Tour, this value is significantly reduced. The UCI has reported that the median earnings would be around 220,000 Euros.