Tour de France is a very entertaining cycling race that enthusiasts across the world always look up to annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars.
This race primarily held in France also occasionally passes through nearby countries, every year roads as the race takes place, fans line up along the roads to take a glimpse of the rolling cyclists as they pedal to the finish line over a gruelling three-week period.
The crashing, the yellow jersey chase, the mountain climbing and definitely a winner popping the giant Champaign bottle into the air from the podium – all these build emotion, laughter and tears of joy and loss among the fans.
Little is known about the money that goes into pockets of these cyclists after pedalling for three weeks.
Let’s count the Money
The winner at this year’s Tour will earn €500,000 in prize money after cycling 3,470 kilometres (2,156 miles) over a rough three-week period.
Under the Tour De France tradition the winner hands over his winnings to team-mates in recognition of their hard work, you start to understand what winning the fabled yellow jersey really means.
The total prize money handed out at this year’s Tour is worth €2,293,000 and while the eventual winner takes the lion’s share, there are plenty of other ways of earning a few extra euros.
Winners of the green and polka dot jerseys — in the points and mountains classifications respectively — will each win €25,000 while the white jersey of the young classification takes home €20,000.
In addition to what is handed out in Paris, the leader in general classification throughout the race also earns €500 for each day spent in the yellow jersey, while the custodians of the other jerseys get €300.
During each stage, too, there is money on offer at the intermediate sprints (€1,500, €1,000 and €500), while the top 14 finishers in each road stage or individual time trial wins €11,000, €5,500, €2,800, €1,500, €830, €780, €730, €670, €650, €600, €540, €470, €440 and €340 respectively while those that finish 15th-20th get €300.
The first rider over each categorised climb can boost their earnings too — €800 for hors catégorie, €650 for category one, €500 for category two, €300 for category three and €200 for category four.
Meanwhile, the biggest bonus in the mountains is the Souvenir Henri Desgrange — the prize handed to the first rider over the col de la Loze (stage 17) — worth €5,000.
Whoever wins the daily combativity award during each road stage gets €2,000 each day while the overall ‘super combativity’ prize winner trousers himself €20,000.
source https://taarifa.rw/how-much-are-cyclists-earning-from-tour-de-france/
