Budgets in the WorldTour continue to grow. According to figures from the UCI, published by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the top twenty teams can collectively spend 663 million euros in 2026. The average budget (which was 31.6 million euros last year) rises to 33.1 million euros.
In previous years, the UCI based the figures solely on the eighteen WorldTour teams. For 2026, Tudor and Pinarello-Q36.5, two ProTeams that receive automatic invitations to all WorldTour races, are also included in the calculation. Nevertheless, the trend is clear. The total budget of the twenty teams now stands at 663 million euros. Last year, the total budget (of the eighteen WorldTour teams) was 570 million euros, and in 2023 it was 'only' 473 million euros.
Salaries
Salaries of WorldTour riders continue to rise as well. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, this applies both to riders registered as independents and those employed under contracts. Contracted riders will earn an average of 384,000 euros per year in 2026, compared to 366,000 euros in 2025 and 300,000 euros in 2023. The new annual salary for 'independent riders' amounts to 654,000 euros. In previous years, these were 636,000 euros (2025) and 557,000 euros (2023), respectively.
The higher average salary of independents is mainly due to many team leaders living in Monaco and Andorra belonging to this group. This includes Tadej Pogacar, the highest earner in the peloton. He reportedly earns eight million euros per year with UAE Emirates XRG (excluding bonuses and personal sponsors).
Differences between teams
Regarding budgets in the WorldTour, a study by Cyclingnews shows significant differences between the top teams and those in the lower regions. For example, teams like UAE Team Emirates XRG, Visma | Lease a Bike, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, Decathlon CGM, and INEOS Grenadiers have budgets close to or above 50 million euros, while teams such as Lotto-Intermarché are 'probably' around half that amount.
The massive budgets of the top teams also push the average up. The median budget — the budget of the middle-ranked team when all twenty teams are ranked by budget — stands at 28 million euros, significantly lower than the average of 33.1 million euros.
Women's WorldTour
In women's cycling, progress is also being made at the highest level. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the total budget of the Women's WorldTour has nearly doubled since 2023. Back then, the fourteen teams had a combined total of 42 million euros at their disposal; now, this figure is 80 million euros.
