I was drunk on cheap wine when I found out Tadej Pogačar makes around €4 million a year.
Four million.
For winning the Tour de France. Twice.
That’s the same amount some benchwarmers in the NBA make for watching other people play basketball. I nearly choked on my drink.
And that got me thinking. Why the hell do pro cyclists—who destroy their bodies for weeks, climb mountains for fun, and risk their lives every time they ride—get paid so little compared to other elite athletes?
It’s not about the bikes. It’s not about the gear. It’s not even about the suffering.
It’s about money, eyeballs, and tradition. And that’s what we’re about to get into.
1. The Money in the Sport
Professional cycling is like that one kid in high school who worked three jobs and still couldn’t afford a car. The sport grinds harder than any other, but the money just isn’t there.
Cycling teams rely almost entirely on sponsorships. They don’t own stadiums, they don’t sell tickets, and they don’t have billion-dollar TV deals. Compare that to the NFL, where even the worst team is worth a few billion.
And because sponsors fund the teams, when a company decides it’s had enough of watching sweaty men in spandex pedal for six hours, the whole team can vanish overnight.
2. Viewership: Who’s Watching?
People watch cycling, sure. The Tour de France draws millions. But the problem?
You can watch it for free.
In sports like football (the American kind), basketball, and Formula 1, people shell out big money to sit in arenas, buy overpriced beer, and scream their lungs out.
Cycling? You stand on the side of a road, wave at some blurry figures, and then go home. No ticket revenue. No parking fees. No “hot dog and beer combo” for $30.
TV rights? They’re owned by race organizers, not teams. So while the Tour de France makes big money, the teams and riders get crumbs.
3. Merchandise: Nobody’s Buying Your Favorite Cyclist’s Jersey
Ever seen a kid walking around in a Pogačar jersey? No?
But I bet you’ve seen a hundred people in a Messi, LeBron, or Ronaldo jersey today alone.
Cycling doesn’t have a strong merch game. There are no big-name jerseys, no collectible sneakers, no cycling-themed video games selling millions of copies.
A sport with no major merch sales is like a broke college student—it survives, but barely.
4. Endorsements: The Shoe Deals That Never Came
LeBron James gets paid hundreds of millions by Nike.
Cristiano Ronaldo makes more from sponsorships than from actually playing soccer.
Cyclists? They get free bikes. Maybe a few euros from a helmet brand. That’s about it.
Why? Because cycling is niche. Nike isn’t selling millions of cycling shoes. Adidas isn’t making cycling kits for the masses.
And energy drink companies? They’d rather throw their money at people who do backflips on dirt bikes.
5. The Cost of Being a Cyclist
Here’s the irony: cycling is expensive as hell.
A pro-level bike costs more than a used car. The maintenance is endless. Travel is constant. And guess what? Many riders have to pay their own expenses.
Some pros—especially at the lower levels—barely break even after covering their equipment, coaching, and race costs.
Compare that to an NBA player who gets everything paid for and still collects a fat paycheck while sitting on the bench.
6. Risk vs. Reward
Cycling is dangerous. People die. People get mangled.
And the worst part? There’s no safety net.
In the NBA or NFL, you get injured, and you’re still cashing checks. In cycling, if you break your collarbone and miss a season, your contract might not get renewed.
And don’t even get me started on retirement. There’s no cushy pension. No analyst job waiting for you.
Just an aching body and the realization that you made less in your career than a backup quarterback makes in a year.
7. Tradition: The Curse of the Old Boys’ Club
Cycling is an old sport. And old sports have traditions.
One of those traditions? Not paying riders what they’re worth.
Cycling teams don’t get a share of TV money. Riders don’t get big contracts. And the system is built to keep things that way.
The ASO (which runs the Tour de France) is perfectly happy keeping the sport just big enough to make money but not big enough to change.
So while the world of sports moves forward, cycling is stuck in the past—like a racer who refuses to upgrade from rim brakes.
Table Summary: Why Pro Cyclists Get Paid Peanuts
| Factor | Cycling | Other Elite Sports |
|---|---|---|
| Team Revenue | Mostly sponsorship-based | TV deals, ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships |
| Viewership Money | High but hard to monetize | Direct revenue from TV and streaming rights |
| Merchandise Sales | Low, niche market | Huge, mainstream appeal |
| Sponsorship Deals | Limited, industry-specific | Massive endorsement contracts |
| Equipment Costs | High for athletes, not teams | Covered by teams/sponsors |
| Risk/Injury | Extremely high, little security | High but with financial protection |
| Tradition & Structure | Old-fashioned, restrictive | Modern, profit-driven |
Conclusion: The Beautiful, Brutal Reality
Cycling is a brutal sport. The training. The suffering. The crashes. The sacrifice. It’s the closest thing to gladiator combat we have left, except the only reward is a bouquet of flowers and a handshake from some local politician.
It’s not fair.
It’s not logical.
It’s just the way it is.
Cyclists aren’t underpaid because they aren’t talented. They’re underpaid because money rules the world, and cycling never figured out how to grab its share.
So the next time you see Pogačar flying up a mountain, or Vingegaard risking his life in a downhill sprint, remember: some guy in the NBA is getting paid more to sit on a bench and eat nachos.
And if that doesn’t make you want to drink, I don’t know what will.
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