Big earner in the peloton, but Pogacar is still "massively underpaid"

After Tadej Pogacar's phenomenal year, it became essential for UAE Team Emirates to secure the superstar for an even longer term. They succeeded: a new contract was signed, with the Slovenian world champion set to earn nearly fifty million euros over six years. This makes him the highest-paid cyclist in the world, but in other sports, this amount is just a drop in the bucket.

Former cyclist Tejay Van Garderen notes that cyclists are being paid more and more. "I think it’s great to see that momentum starting to build. It’s high time that riders get the respect they deserve," he says in the podcast Beyond The Podium. "But I think that Tadej Pogacar, when you see what kind of star he is for the sport, is still massively underpaid. If you look at the NBA: for 8.3 million per year, you get someone who starts on the bench, someone who is more of a journeyman. The best, highest-paid player, Steph Curry, earns 45 million dollars a year. I know it’s hard to compare, but still..."

Compared to the past, the current situation has already improved significantly, according to the American. "If you compare it to when we were racing, he earns more than Chris Froome and Peter Sagan, who were making between four and five million. That’s quite a step up. But that was back in 2012, 2013. If you look at the highest-paid basketball player back then, Kobe Bryant, he was earning 25 million per year."

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"You can't tell me there aren't enough viewers"

What’s holding cycling back from taking the next step? "You can’t tell me there aren’t enough viewers. In July, cycling has a clear runway: the NBA is done, American football hasn’t started yet... Cycling is a global sport, everyone watches it." While starting fees are already standard in cyclo-cross, road cycling still lags behind. "I’m sure Tadej earns starting fees at certain events, for example the Giro. But if I were Tadej, I would leverage that more. How much do you gain from me starting in your race? In that case, I’d take five percent of all television revenues."

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