a former runner makes a statement about Pogacar which risks causing a reaction

Former American runner Tejay Van Garderen made a statement that caused a lot of reaction during an interview with NBC Sports. According to him, Tadej Pogacar, double winner of the Tour de France and considered one of the greatest cyclists of his generation, is “extremely underpaid” despite his record contract with UAE Team Emirates. Pogacar, who will receive 8 million euros per year for six years, a total of 48 million euros excluding bonuses, is far behind the stars of major sports like the NBA. Van Garderen, who twice finished 5th in the Tour de France in 2012 and 2014, is surprised by the salary disparities between Cycling and other disciplines. “Compared to the time when I was riding, Pogacar is better paid than Chris Froome or Peter Sagan. They were getting around 4 to 5 million. But that was in 2012 or 2013. The highest paid basketball player in 2012 was Kobe Bryant with 25 million”said the former American runner. “Tadej Pogacar is extremely underpaid, especially for what he brings to the sport as a superstar. If you look at the NBA, you have someone coming off the bench for 8 million a year. A bit of a veteran. highest paid player is Stephen Curry, he earns 45 million per year. explains the former BMC Racing rider in comments reported by Cyclisme Actu.

A lack of recognition for cycling stars

Van Garderen believes that cycling, although it enjoys a global audience, does not reward its best riders fairly. “It’s time boys got the respect they deserve,” poursuit Van Garderen. “I don't know exactly what cycling needs to do to catch up. But you can't tell me that the audience isn't there. Cycling is for everyone, everywhere in the world. It's something that everyone around the world watches, If I were Tadej, I would use it in a different way.” declares the 36-year-old ex-runner. He even pushes the thinking further, suggesting that Pogacar, as a superstar, could negotiate a share of the television revenues from major races like the Tour de France. “You will see then that we are getting closer to certain ball sports”, concludes Tejay Van Garderen. A strong statement which will not fail to provoke reactions in the coming days.

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