Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Wednesday November 6, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
Initially under contract with the UAE Team Emirates until the end of the 2027 season, Tadej Pogacar recently extended his commitment with the Emirati team until 2030. A contract whose figures are dizzying.
Between UAE Team Emirates and Tadej Pogacar, the story is far from over. To crown a simply exceptional 2024 season, marked by a long list of successes including the Giro-Tour de France double and a show of strength during the world championships, the Slovenian has signed a new contract. While he was initially linked to the Emirati team until the end of the 2027 season, the native of Komenda extended this commitment for three years since then, i.e. until the end of 2030. But who says new contract, also says a salary revised and corrected upwards. Indeed, according to information from the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello SportTadej Pogacar will always be the highest paid rider in the professional peloton. While he earned around six million euros this year excluding bonuses, the Slovenian's new salary is estimated at 50 million euros over a period covering the next six seasons.
A release clause of an astronomical amount
In other words, the wearer of the rainbow jersey should receive a little more than eight million euros per year, again without taking into account any performance-related bonuses. For comparison, its rivals Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard do not exceed five million euros per year, respectively at Soudal-Quick Step and Visma-Lease a Bike. But the salary is not the most surprising feature of the new contract signed by Tadej Pogacar. Indeed, while the director of the UAE Team Emirates team Mauro Gianetti had affirmed that his rider “was not on the transfer market”, any other team wishing to attract the Slovenian was warned. According to La Gazzetta dello Sportthe release clause integrated into the contract of the native of Komenda has been doubled and would now amount to 200 million euros. Given the economic situation of professional cycling, it is not possible for a team to comply with such a requirement if it wishes to attract Tadej Pogacar. As a result, it is almost certain that the Slovenian will end his career in the colors of UAE Team Emirates, whose colors he has worn since 2019.
