earnings

[mombus]

I'm a little out of the loop when it comes to an understanding of pro cyclists' salaries. In fact, maybe there is no loop. But I've never really known how much anyone makes in a given year or block of races.

Can anyone shed some light on how this works (experience, skill, hype).
For example, who makes more, Frank Schleck or Jens Voigt? And why? How does that then compare to wages paid to say a Gilbert?

Then, what about a Thor Hushovd to someone who's now more projected to win but younger, like Farrar?

And does anyone have any figures?

 

[The Hitch]

Who makes more, Frank Schleck or Jens Voigt? ?

Depends. With Frank Schleck are you talking before or after "taxation"

 

[mombus]

By taxation do you mean... taxation?

 

[The Hitch]

By taxation do you mean... taxation?

yep taxation

 

[Eric8-A]

I've also wondered about this. Given the fact thatbeing a cyclist falls under the category of being a proffessionla athlete, I would think that a cyclist makes enough to make more than a decent living. But then I have read countless times that some riders on the continental circuits work part-time jobs to make ends meet. I'ts clear that a rider on a ProTour team would make more than someone on a continental team.

 

[Izzy eviel]

Isn't the Pro team minimum wage around 20,000 Euros?

 

[Mambo95]

Isn't the Pro team minimum wage around 20,000 Euros?

I think it's 30,000, 24,000 for neo-pros

Wages vary wildly. Richie Porte is only on E50K at Saxo, while Contador is reported to be on E5m.

The Wall Street Journal bandied about some figures a couple of years ago:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121693264451182277.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

[flicker]

I think it's 30,000, 24,000 for neo-pros

Wages vary wildly. Richie Porte is only on E50K at Saxo, while Contador is reported to be on E5m.

The Wall Street Journal bandied about some figures a couple of years ago:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121693264451182277.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

If the Wall Street Journal and the German Journalists get their way all pro cyclists will be getting unemployment checks. Simply because they hate cycling.

 

[The Hitch]

I think it's 30,000, 24,000 for neo-pros

Wages vary wildly. Richie Porte is only on E50K at Saxo, while Contador is reported to be on E5m.

The Wall Street Journal bandied about some figures a couple of years ago:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121693264451182277.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Contador is on £5 mil a year? Holy cow, that is big. Only 3 years ago wiggins was saying a tdf winner can expect a mil a year. Maybe a sign of our sport increasing.

I wonder what Canc will be getting at Lux

 

[ingsve]

In his book Marcus Ljungqvist talks about the contract negotiations he had in his last year before he ended his career and joined Sky as a DS. That year he was a 34 year old domestique who had some decent results in the past nad could once in a while get a small result for himself. He had offers both to stay with Riis and to join the coming Radio Shack team but he turned them both down since the contracts would mean a pay cut and the opportunity to join Sky would probably go away if he didn't take it right away.

I don't know if it was in the book specifically or if I read it somewhere else but I recall a figure of 35000 $ or € from somewhere.

Marcus also talks about how the teams usually give a very bad first offer to lure in young riders and riders that are starting to get worried about next year. His first offer from RadioShack would have cut his salary in half but Stuart O'Grady who is a friend of Lance Armstrong talked to Lance on Marcus's behalf and said how loyal and valuable he was and how important he was to Stuart winning Roubaix and after that RadioShack came back with another offer that was better but still a pay cut. The offer from Riis was pretty similar apparently.

He also says that the big stars have multi year contracts that usually mean an increased salary for each year of the contract.

 

[ingsve]

I think it's 30,000, 24,000 for neo-pros

The thing to remember is that most riders earn the minimum or close above it. It's only the very best riders that get anything that would resemble a sports star salary and compared to other sports there is no one who is even close to the best sports earners in the world.

Being a cycling domestique is just like any other average paying job for most riders even in the PT. For each level you go down the wages also go down. Continental riders are often semi-pros and many probably need other means of income to get by.

 

[federalski]

Sure I seen an article saying Hushovd is on 1.2 million Euro a year at Garmin, though it was signed before he was crowned World Road Champ and the article was saying how he could probably have been on more if signed after the Worlds.

 

[NickBVK]

Winnings are shared amongst the team that rode the race

 

[El Pistolero]

Sure I seen an article saying Hushovd is on 1.2 million Euro a year at Garmin, though it was signed before he was crowned World Road Champ and the article was saying how he could probably have been on more if signed after the Worlds.

That's a waste of money if you ask me.

 

[flicker]

My guess is the reason many of those guys through the pain is to meet and greet a podium girl(s) It can't be for the money it is nothing compared to other sports.

 

[flatclimb]

Don't know the average, some must get paid prettttty well. They are moving advertisements for the most part and that costs money.

I'm sure Belgium slips a fat check under Gilbert's door with a note "Thanks for making us look good. "

 

[The Hitch]

The thing to remember is that most riders earn the minimum or close above it. It's only the very best riders that get anything that would resemble a sports star salary and compared to other sports there is no one who is even close to the best sports earners in the world.

Being a cycling domestique is just like any other average paying job for most riders even in the PT. For each level you go down the wages also go down. Continental riders are often semi-pros and many probably need other means of income to get by.

Yes, but remember any winnings are always split evenly among the team. Your guy wins a stage at a minor race. Well its not much but its a few dollars nonetheless. A stage at a bigger stage race, even more. Once you get to classics, monuments, stage race victories, gt minor jerseys, your talking about proabbly a few hundred dollars. ANd a grand tour, maddone, thats got to be at least a few grand per domestique no?

Ok so most riders arent on teams that win all the time, but still you add those over the year, some of them will be getting a fair bit more than their yearly salaries.


Oh and remember that they use the bikes as salary as well. Often the riders get a salary cut but get to keep the bike which they can then sell for more.

 

[joy118118]

UCI changed the lowest paid of riders in 2010. It is € 26,700 for a neo-pro and € 33,000 for the others.

Cavendish earns 1.5m a year. Eddy Boss is nearly 1m. Contador is said to get 5m from Astana. forgot reading it somewhere

 

[Dundee]

Pro Tour and Pro Conti have min wages, google UCI regs. Conti have no min wage so a lot are riding as Pro for nothing, just the oppertunity.

 

[bubblegum]

This from cycling tips (one of the best, and melbournian! blogs going around) not to long ago

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/11/how-much-do-pro-cyclists-make/

 

[Michele]

Pro Tour and Pro Conti have min wages, google UCI regs. Conti have no min wage so a lot are riding as Pro for nothing, just the oppertunity.

One my friend ride for an Asian team and just get paied by bike components.
Of course he has a part time job he does during winter and rest of off season otherwise he would have serious troubles.

As for other guys, a lot depends on team prizes; I know that this year each Liquigas rider who rode Giro got a bonus of 40.000euro which is not bad.

 

[online-rider]

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/11/how-much-do-pro-cyclists-make/

A very good domestique (perhaps a lead-out man) will make between €100k-€200k.

That sounds like a fabulous sum for a lead out man. I'd say its more like €70k-€90k.

 

[JPM London]

That sounds like a fabulous sum for a lead out man. I'd say its more like €70k-€90k.

In most cases I'd agree that the 100-200 sounded high as well, but when you consider that the best lead-outs could be finishers themselves, then they'd need to be compensated for doing the lead-out...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the absolute top riders make millions of euros a year. cancellara was offered 3.5 million at bmc but choose schleck team. at csc I think he made 1.5.

contador made over 5 million at astana and lance did also in us postal days. ullrich made more than 3 million a year at telekom and those days are 10 years ago and cycling has only grown.

helpers however ride for minim wage or a little above that. in pt I think your average helper makes maybe no more than 40.000 a year. a guy like voigt I would imagine would make like 500.000, used to be more I think.

 

[Wiggins_fan]

This thread is kind og dissapointing. Compared to other athletes cyclists don't make allot of money. And if you reflect how deep riders have to dig in themselves in competition compared to other sports it really doesn't make much sense that they earn so little.

You never see a footballer suffer like a cyclist in order to score a victory. But I guess it all comes down to commercial interests of course, which is why things are the way they are.

If you take Hushovd as an example who someone stated earned 1 mill euro a year. That's the salary he nets from his team. Surely he must have other incomes from TV-appearances, commercials and private sponsors? Or is private sponsors simply not a big factor in cycling? I understand the nameless helpers of the peloton wouldn't have this opportunity, but the bigger names I would guess has many other factors in their actual salary.