How much do riders cost on the transfer market? 💰
From the neo-pros to the superstars, we analyse the pay bands within the men's WorldTour
Hi Subscribers,
We’ve all seen and read those listical stories that focus on the ranking of rider values and contracts. They are usually based on rough estimates rather than exact figures, as very few individuals have either seen the specific agreements, and athletes themselves, unsurprisingly, don’t tend to disclose how much money they earn.
That said, riders can be assigned to financial tiers according to their roles and responsibilities within the WorldTour, with each tier corresponding to a specific cost.
I’ve spoken to several team managers and rider agents over the past week and compiled this comprehensive analysis covering those tiers, from neo-pros to the sport's superstars.
As you’ll see, there is a notable degree of variability depending on age, nationality, supply and demand, team objectives, and the nature and timing of when certain contracts are signed.
One major caveat is that these figures represent what riders are currently seeking in the market, not what riders may have signed two or three years ago. And it’s worth adding that these ranges include outliers on the top end of the scale, so you will find that a greater number of riders are closer to the middle of the lower end of each band. Not every domestique earns the top salary, for example.
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2025 pay tiers in the men’s WorldTour (not including bonuses, per season)
Neo Pro: €70K-300K
Second contract: €100K-250K (third, fourth year pros)
Solid experienced domestique: €200K-500K
Top tier (final) lead-out rider: €400K-800K
Mountain super domestique: €700K-1.3M
Classics super domestique: €400K-700K
Classics Winner: €1.5M-2M
World-class sprinter: €2.5M-3.5M
Best of the rest sprinters: €500K-2M
Grand Tour rider 6-10th: €1-1.5M
Grand Tour leader: €2M+ (has been 3rd or higher at least once)
Superstars: €3M-8M
Read more: Rider Cycling Transfers 2025/2026
Neo pros €70K-300K 🐣
We’ll start with the neo-pros. As with many of the price bands within this list, there is a significant degree of variation. For example, a neo-pro with several teams pursuing them will command a significantly higher market value than, say, a rider who is about to join the WorldTour but has come through a smaller development team and has had to wait until late in the season for a contract.
In those rare instances, the salary could begin at the UCI minimum wage of €44,150, but the vast majority of junior or U23 riders earn considerably higher. Some can fetch close to €300K, while the average is between €70K and €200K. We’ve also heard of neo-pros being recruited for as much as € 500K per season. That’s very, very rare. It’s also common for neo-pros to sign a two-year contract, have a good first year, and then negotiate new terms after the first term. That gives the rider and the team greater security.
This is one band that has seen the most growth in the last few years in terms of the cost that teams need to pay riders. That’s a result of WorldTour teams recruiting younger and younger as they seek the next Pogačar or Evenepoel.
There’s also a pragmatic approach to this strategy. It costs far less to sign a batch of potential young riders within the price range of €70-300K than it does to sign one established star who might cost ten times that amount. Teams will roll the dice in the hope that their spreadbetting approach pays off a few years down the line.
Second contracts: €100K-250K 💼
This band covers the neo-pro riders after their initial two-year contract period. There are of course exceptions, such as riders who sign three year contracts to start with, or those who have staggered pay increases if they sign deals that cover a period in the U23 ranks and then an additional two seasons in the WorldTour, without the need for a fresh set of terms, but generally speaking, if a rider has proved their worth after two years in the WorldTour they can expect a salary increase of around €150K-250K for their next contract.