The average budget for World Tour teams for 2026 has risen to 33 million euros, which is 4.5% more than last year. The median salary for a self-employed cyclist (a rider acting as their own employer) has risen to 350,000 euros - an increase of 5.6%.
Costs and salaries at the highest level of professional cycling have grown year after year, and the total sum of team budgets now reaches 663 million euros. The figures were presented at the UCI World Tour seminar held in Geneva in mid-December.
Previous data covered 18 teams, but for 2026, the UCI's calculations include 20 teams based on financial budgets from World Tour license applications. This year, Tudor Pro Cycling and Pinarello–Q36.5 have automatic invitations to World Tour races, and therefore their budgets are comparable to those of the 18 World Tour teams.
The average team budget has grown from 31.1 million euros in 2025 to 33.1 million euros in 2026. In 2023, this figure was only 26.2 million euros. The total budget for the Women's WorldTour across 14 teams reached 80 million euros, while in 2023 this sum was only 42 million euros.
At the same time, the budget gaps between so-called super teams and teams struggling to find sponsors are growing. Teams such as UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma–Lease a Bike, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, Decathlon–CMA CGM, and Ineos Grenadiers can spend approximately 50 million euros per year. Smaller teams, or those that have recently risen to the top tier, such as Lotto–Intermarché, must manage with approximately half that amount.
The budgets of top teams and riders' salaries are growing
