# Pro salaries



## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Idle curiosity. What do the Euro cats make? I assume it's more than just a salary (appearance fees, advertising for the select few, etc.).


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

The top pros do OK, the rest will have to find another job when they hang up the cleats.

The last list I saw, I believe Valverde was the highest paid with around 3 million / year. Boonen and Bettini are near that too, with Bettini making a bit more than Boonen. Other high earners were Petacchi, Andreas Kloeden, Vinokourov. All between the 1 and 3 million range.

Do a search in this forum, it has been discussed a couple times this year.


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

The low end guys make about $37 K per year - there is some kind of minimum wage set up with UCI for the pro tour teams.

Further I have read that the bottom rung guys were getting paid even less than the minimum - around 31K with the advent of teams pulling out / folding this year. Too many riders not enough jobs.

I have also read that Valverde was the highest paid at 3M / yr. All this info was in a Cycling magazine around June or July - I believe it was Velo News but not 100% on that one.


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## Davoosie (Mar 17, 2007)

According to the Mar '07 issue of Cycle Sport....

Valverde - $3.8M (will make more than $11.7M between now and end of 2010 season)
Bettini - $3.3M
Boonen - $2.6M
Petacchi - $2.2M
Basso - $2M
Cunego - $1.8M
Vinokourov - $1.7M
McEwen - $1.6M
Hushovd - $1.3M
Zabel - $1.6M
Popovych - $1.3M
Kloden - $1.3M
Evans - $1.3M
Savoldelli - $1M
Freire - $1M
Boogerd - $975K

*Ullrich - $5.2M


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

What do national level pro's get in states?


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

I'm not sure of the top US domestic riders, but we can probably inference close to $100k/yr..but those are a select few.

Excellent domestic riders are lucky to pull off $60k/yr -- but usually closer to $45k. Most of the touring domestic professionals in the US are making $25-35k/yr. Regional domestic pros? Not sure, but probably close to nothing.

I've heard that international domestic pros often have to pay the team in order to be part of it. ie, rich parents pay $45k/yr and that is the rider's "salary" given back to them.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

iliveonnitro said:


> I'm not sure of the top US domestic riders, but we can probably inference close to $100k/yr..but those are a select few.
> 
> Excellent domestic riders are lucky to pull off $60k/yr -- but usually closer to $45k. Most of the touring domestic professionals in the US are making $25-35k/yr. Regional domestic pros? Not sure, but probably close to nothing.
> 
> I've heard that *international domestic *pros often have to pay the team in order to be part of it. ie, rich parents pay $45k/yr and that is the rider's "salary" given back to them.


A new year, a new oxymoron.


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## ridin at 4:20 (Dec 9, 2007)

toonraid said:


> What do national level pro's get in states?


Rite Aid paid their riders $160 a month last year. They are a smaller US team. I heard the lowest paid guy on Toyota was making 12k. If you through in earning from racing and getting some $$ back if a teamates score big, then he may have pulled 20k for the year.

From what I have been told. All US pro riders at the D3(whatever they call it today), will get a salary on paper to satisy UCI requirements, but they deduct the bike, clothing race fees, etc. Thus the $160 a month, more or less depending on your team.

I;ve been told that when you jump to a D2 level. Defunk Navigators, former D2 team healthNet and now BMC and Slipstream, I've been told that you actually get a salary on top of all the freebies. I was told in the upper 20s or low 30s. Then at the Pro-tour level, you get a min. of 60k, plus all the freebies.

How true all this is, is beyond me. It is what I've been told from various people in the industry and some D3 racers. Why it is such a hush hush approach I do not know.

It is readily available all over the internet to see what baseball, and football and various other athletes make, but never anything on cyclists.

The top US guys racing across the states probably do very well. I'm guessing 75-125k with earnings, winning the right races with the high payouts and some endorsements.

But, if I am a guy like, say Chris Wherry for Toyota, It is safe to say that he probably makes towards 100k, give or take. If he were a baseball player or NBA player, at the same caliber amongst his competitors, then he would probably be pulling anywhere from 2 million to probably 8 million a year. Pretty amazing


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

I am not that familiar with the set up in states - I assume you have a pro division followed by D1, D2, D3 ... ? is it all national or geographical .. would appretiate some one shedding some light.


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## awesometown (May 23, 2005)

toonraid said:


> I am not that familiar with the set up in states - I assume you have a pro division followed by D1, D2, D3 ... ? is it all national or geographical .. would appretiate some one shedding some light.


Isn't it continental and pro-continental now? They change it once every few minutes so its hard to say....

Regardless, Velonews interviewed Horner after leaving webcor for europe. His last season at webcor when he one pretty much every major race he entered netted him about 100K (so he said). Keep in mind, to accomplish that feat he pretty much had to race at peak performance the whole year. No off days I suppose. Also keep in mind that its only one person hitting that mark... There were 10's of thousands of dollars seperating him and the rest of the peloton.

I would also wager a guess that the post lance-effect has lowered the average domestic salary greatly. Even less public interest means less motivation by sponsors to pour money into the sport.


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## RSPDiver (Jun 3, 2006)

iliveonnitro said:


> I've heard that international domestic pros often have to pay the team in order to be part of it. ie, rich parents pay $45k/yr and that is the rider's "salary" given back to them.


I was told this exact thing from a former Italian pro on a (I believe) national-level team.


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## ridin at 4:20 (Dec 9, 2007)

If you're a good cat 1 or 2 in most states, you can generally ride for a small elite team and possibly pick up 3-4k, work all week and get most of your stuff for free or dam cheap. Not back considering all things.


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

ridin at 4:20 said:


> If you're a good cat 1 or 2 in most states, you can generally ride for a small elite team and possibly pick up 3-4k, work all week and get most of your stuff for free or dam cheap. Not back considering all things.


That's why Rite Aid can field a team of "professionals" who are paid in peanuts and gear. So many people think they can be pro bike riders, but there isn't enough money in the sport to pay at the same level as a major US sport. 

The example that 420 gives is basically of a dedicated hobbyist; any true professional athlete in a major sport would scoff at that level of "compensation." That said, even if you're a cat 1, if you're riding for an amateur team, you aren't getting a paycheck from them. Free kit and equipment, and entry fees, is about as good as you can get, any prize money notwithstanding.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

RSPDiver said:


> I was told this exact thing from a former Italian pro on a (I believe) national-level team.


I had heard that practice being used in the uk for motor racing pit crew apprentice (for juniors ar amateur level races).


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Mootsie said:


> A new year, a new oxymoron.


international domestic pros -- it sounds self-contradictory, but it's pretty true in Europe where racing involves many countries -- but they are still, technically, a domestic pro team.

I have two friends who are/were domestic pros. One is still pro and one retired this past year. On a good year, the retired one was making $35k/yr including the selling of his equipment after each year (frame, parts, wheels, etc). He would get a certain amount of free stuff and any additional stuff was "at cost" -- so he bought extras and sold them at the end of the year. Frowned upon and probably would have lost sponsors, but I'm sure everyone knows that domestic teams do that.

The current pro wouldn't tell me his salary, but he took a "huge cut" for this coming year. Last year he hinted that it was also at ~$30k/yr. How much is a huge cut? $1k, $3k, $10k? I do not know...


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## ridin at 4:20 (Dec 9, 2007)

toonraid said:


> I had heard that practice being used in the uk for motor racing pit crew apprentice (for juniors ar amateur level races).



I've known a few friends that had parents make a generous donation to their college. I;ve seen at HS levels where parents are buttering up to the football or basketball coach trying to get their kid a little playtime. It happens everywhere.


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

MaestroXC said:


> Free kit and equipment, and entry fees, is about as good as you can get, any prize money notwithstanding.


Prize money usually goes into the team pot and split up from there. So even if you win a race, you don't get the full prize money, only a portion.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Also realize many of these pro teams _need _free housing at races, which is why bigger races have "sponsorship houses" or the like. I house a pro team every year at the Tour of Elk Grove.


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## ridin at 4:20 (Dec 9, 2007)

innergel said:


> Prize money usually goes into the team pot and split up from there. So even if you win a race, you don't get the full prize money, only a portion.


If you get on a good team that is small and tight and commited to racing at least 3 weekends a month, you can do ok if guys are scoring in the money each weekend. 

In the mid-atlantic states, I think it is pretty common to see this. Not sure about other areas.


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

Kinda makes more sense to sit at a desk and make 100k and ride for fun instead of the other way around. (For the folks that have no chance of making ProTour team).

Makes you wonder how guys dope if the team isn't providing it. I'd hate to try and live on 30k. Let alone if you had a family and / or had to dope to keep a job.


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## cocoboots (Apr 13, 2006)

The teammates or coaches are the ones providing the drugs. Of course, the hope is that the drugs will lead you to a bigger contract. With the bigger contract comes the paying off of coaches or teammates for more drugs and "hush money".

very few racers go out and "find" the drugs by themselves.


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## Kestreljr (Jan 10, 2007)

ridin at 4:20 said:


> It is readily available all over the internet to see what baseball, and football and various other athletes make, but never anything on cyclists.


There is a lot of hearsay out there, but very, very few pro contracts are available to the public. Even when you hear "Pro Athlete Joe signed a 34 Million dollar, 4 year contract" that info is normally given by the players agent, and thus it maximizes the contract's potential money. It is in the player and agents best interest to inflate the contract for future contract deals. 

However because current contracts are so incentive based, the player's base salary is normally between one third to one half of what is reported. The point is, it is hard to know what the player is actually getting.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

cocoboots said:


> The teammates or coaches are the ones providing the drugs. Of course, the hope is that the drugs will lead you to a bigger contract. With the bigger contract comes the paying off of coaches or teammates for more drugs and "hush money".
> 
> very few racers go out and "find" the drugs by themselves.


Exactly. It's surprisingly difficult to find the drugs because no one wants to talk. Usually, the drugs find you.


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## wunlap togo (Oct 1, 2004)

ridin at 4:20 said:


> If you're a good cat 1 or 2 in most states, you can generally ride for a small elite team and possibly pick up 3-4k, work all week and get most of your stuff for free or dam cheap. Not back considering all things.


Yep. My team for this year and year before last (no road for me last summer) is like this, but no salary. I get a frameset+ stem/seatpost, about a half dozen uniforms (bibs and shorts), some skinsuits, a jacket and vest, arm/leg warmers/caps/socks/gloves, helmet and all my race fees paid. We are having a training camp in Sonoma later this month that will be paid for as well that will include 2 or 3 nights in a hotel and food, etc. paid for. I think we'll also get travel to a few stage races paid for as well. 

I'm in Nor-Cal and I'm a cat.2. Everyone on the team is a 1 or 2. It's a sweet deal for me, I'll be out there racing regardless.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Being in uk I am alian to the classificaions there could you explain how you get from cat 4 to 3 and so on?


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

Go to the link below for information on categorization and upgrades for most races in the US.

http://usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=580


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## MaddSkillz (Mar 13, 2007)

Do they get paid in Euro's or Dollars? j/k


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## Jokull (Aug 13, 2007)

toonraid said:


> Being in uk I am alian to the classificaions there could you explain how you get from cat 4 to 3 and so on?


It's basically the same as in the UK, except that UK categories go Elite,1,2,3,4 while US categories go 1,2,3,4,5. MaestroXC's link explains how its done in the US, the links I've put in below explain how its done in the UK. The only big difference is that there is no 'experience' upgrade in the UK, so someone who can't sprint stays Cat 4 forever, whereas US Cat 5 is really just for novices. 

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/road_categories_explained.asp

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/road_points_explained.asp


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