How does prize money work in cycling?

Prize money is the money paid by race organisers for results, such as stage wins, final classifications and days in a leader's jersey.

Prize money in cycling is small compared with salaries, and much smaller than in sports like tennis or golf. The Tour de France is by far the richest race: its 2026 total prize fund was €2,302,800, and the overall winner traditionally receives €500,000. Most other races pay much less.

Riders usually do not keep their own prize money. By long tradition, winnings are pooled and shared among the riders, and often the staff, of the team that won them, because a win depends on the work of the whole team. Exact arrangements are agreed within each team.

The UCI sets minimum prize money levels for races depending on their category, but organisers can pay more. Women's prize money has grown in recent years, though it remains well below the men's in most races.

Our race pages show official prize money where the organiser publishes it, with a source and date. Where a figure is not published, we do not estimate it.

See it on howtoturnpro.com

Tour de France 2026 prize money

Related terms

• Startlist
• Grand Tour
• Classification jerseys