Professional Cycling is experiencing dramatic developments in terms of budgets and salaries, with significant increases for both the men's and women's WorldTour teams. According to an exclusive report from La Gazzetta dello Sportthe total budget of men's teams increased by 33% between 2022 and 2025, from 430 million euros to 570 million euros. This increase is largely due to investments from major sponsors such as Lidl (with Trek), Decathlon (with AG2R La Mondiale), Red Bull (with BORA-hansgrohe)… which allowed certain teams to reach a milestone. The latter, with the arrival of the Austrian giant, should also reach a budget of 50 million in 2025.
Video – Tadej Pogacar is the highest paid rider in the peloton
€500,000 average salary for a WorldTour rider
The average budget for men's WorldTour teams has also increased, now reaching €32 million, an increase of €4 million compared to the previous year. At the same time, riders' salaries continue to rise, with an average salary estimated at 500,000 euros for 2025, compared to 449,000 euros in 2024. However, this development leads to a growing salary gap between the big stars of the peloton, such as Tadej Pogacar (UAE team Emirates) who would benefit from a salary of around 8 million euros, much more than the average.
The Women's WorldTour, meanwhile, is also experiencing impressive growth. Its budget has doubled to reach 70 million euros in 2025, marking an important step in the expansion of women's cycling. Notable transfers, such as that of Demi Vollering towards FDJ-Suezand increased investment in teams like SD Worx – Protime et Visma | Lease a Biketestify to the growth of women's cycling, with sponsors increasingly present.
The arrival of a salary cap?
However, rapidly increasing budgets raise questions about financial fairness in professional cycling. L'International Cycling Union (UCI) plans to introduce budget caps to avoid excessive disparities between teams and guarantee a more balanced competition. Although these increases reflect the growing popularity of cycling, they also risk creating financial imbalances, with teams and riders benefiting from much greater resources than others.
In short, professional cycling is undergoing a significant transformation, with budgets and salaries rising sharply, but also a growing need for regulation to maintain fairness within the sport.
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