<\/p>\n
Pro cycling isn\u2019t exactly as lucrative as, say, baseball, basketball, football or soccer, but if you\u2019re going to try and make solid dough, the men\u2019s Tour de France is a good choice.<\/p>\n
Danish cycling publication Feltet<\/a>, through a deep dive by journalist Gustav Volstrup S\u00f8nderlund, recently broke down the 2026 Tour prize structure, and found that riders and teams will be competing for a total prize fund of roughly \u20ac2.57 million. At current exchange rates, that\u2019s about $4.1 million Canuck bucks spread across the three-week race.<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, the largest cheque goes to the rider standing atop the podium in Paris. This year\u2019s overall winner will collect \u20ac500,000, or approximately $800,000 CAD. Second place earns around $320,000 CAD, while third takes home roughly $160,000 CAD. The top 20 riders in the general classification all receive prize money.<\/p>\n The other competitions pay out as well. Victories in the points and mountains classifications are worth about $80,000 CAD, while the best young rider and the race\u2019s most aggressive rider each earn roughly $64,000 CAD.<\/p>\n Stage wins remain lucrative by cycling standards. Each stage victor pockets about \u20ac11,000, or close to $18,000 CAD, with prize money paid through 20th place. Riders also earn daily bonuses for holding the yellow, green, polka-dot and white jerseys.<\/p>\n There are additional payouts available throughout the race, including cash prizes for intermediate sprints, mountain summits and the traditional Souvenir Henri Desgrange and Souvenir Jacques Goddet awards. It\u2019s not just being the first over the line. And even if you don\u2019t win a stage, the team tracks the cash you bring in. Everyone does like dough, after all.<\/p>\n Of course, Tour prize money is rarely kept by the rider alone. The long-standing tradition within the peloton is for earnings to be pooled and shared among teammates and staff.<\/p>\n That can add up quickly. According to Feltet<\/a>, UAE Team Emirates topped the earnings table at last year\u2019s Tour, with Tadej Poga\u010dar responsible for the lion\u2019s share of the team\u2019s winnings. (Plus they get actual<\/em> lions, those cute little stuffed animals<\/a>, courtesy of long-running sponsor, LCL.)<\/p>\n The men\u2019s Tour de France begins July 7 and goes until July 26. The Tour de France Femmes begins shortly thereafter, on Aug. 1 until Aug. 9.<\/p>\n Start lists are still being finalized for both events. One rider who won\u2019t be doing the Tour this year, is Guillaume Boivin<\/a> after his crash in Belgium and subsequent surgery. So far for the TdFF, one rider is confirmed, world champ Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill. But undoubtedly more will be announced. And as far as the women\u2019s prize money, Canadian Cycling Magazine will try and figure that out too\u2026and yeah, it\u2019s probably going to be significantly less.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\nYellow is gold<\/h2>\n
Stage wins pay well<\/h2>\n
The upcoming Tours de France<\/h2>\n