Cashing in: Pogačar racks up the most prize money this spring, Van der Poel also scores big

Was there ever any doubt about who racked up the most prize money this spring among the men? Tadej Pogačar dominated the entire campaign and it shows in the payout rankings as well. The Slovenian superstar from UAE Team Emirates - XRG shattered another record, becoming the first rider to break the six-figure mark. According to calculations from Sporza, the world champion collected a staggering €107,250 in prize money. Not surprising when you realize he won two Monuments and hit the podium twice more. A truly unbelievable run.

Interestingly, it was not his wins at the Tour of Flanders or Liège–Bastogne–Liège that brought in the biggest checks. Instead, it was his second place at Paris–Roubaix that earned him the most, pocketing €22,000, which is actually €2,000 more than what he earned for each Monument victory. Right behind him is Mathieu van der Poel, who conquered the Hell of the North and racked up a total of €71,000 in prize money this spring.

That is a slight drop compared to last year, when Van der Poel, wearing the rainbow jersey, won both Paris–Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Back then, he hauled in nearly €80,000 in prize money. This time around, Mads Pedersen rounds out the podium, with the Dane collecting a solid €52,100 across the spring campaign. As for the rest of the top ten, here’s how it stacks up from fourth to tenth: Wout van Aert, Jasper Philipsen, Juan Sebastian Molano, Soren Waerenskjold, Neilson Powless, Mattias Skjelmose, and Filippo Ganna.

There are a few surprise names in the mix. Molano, for instance, picked up a hefty paycheck thanks to his win at Classic Brugge–De Panne. That single victory earned him more prize money than Filippo Ganna, which is pretty remarkable considering Ganna’s spring included second place at Milan–San Remo, third at the E3 Saxo Classic, eighth at the Tour of Flanders, and twelfth at Paris–Roubaix. One important note: the prize money totals only account for the spring classics season. Stage races like Tirreno–Adriatico are not included in these calculations.

Lorena Wiebes wrapped up the spring classics as the top money rider on the women’s side. The European champ banked €35,283 after stacking wins at Milan–San Remo, Classic Brugge–De Panne, and Gent–Wevelgem, along with a strong third-place ride at Paris–Roubaix. Paris–Roubaix winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was not far behind, pocketing €31,659 after a powerful spring campaign.

She splits two SD Worx–Protime heavy hitters at the top, with Lotte Kopecky slotting into third. The Belgian world champ scored big with her Tour of Flanders win and racked up key results like fifth at Liège–Bastogne–Liège to bring her total to €29,275. Elisa Longo Borghini (€25,561) and rising star Puck Pieterse (€24,567) round out the top five.