Teams rarely discuss their actual budget figures, although a recent trend has seen Richard Plugge of Jumbo-Visma claim that they are around 5th or 6th in the table of budgets this season. So with plenty of smoke and mirrors, it’s hard to really know for sure the exact budget figures. What we can do is provide some solid guesses to the best of our knowledge. But there is a margin for error in each and an exact placing may be slightly inaccurate.
Teams are told by the UCI what percentile they are in when it comes to filing their budget details, so team managers know roughly how they stack up compared to other teams. This is again a fiercely guarded secret though.
A cycling team’s budget is typically spent on a variety of expenses related to the team’s operation, including:
- Salaries for riders and staff: A significant portion of a team’s budget is typically allocated to paying the salaries of riders and staff. This includes not only the riders themselves, but also coaches, trainers, mechanics, and other support personnel.
- Travel and accommodations: Professional cycling teams often travel extensively throughout the racing season, which can be a major expense. Teams must pay for airfare, hotels, and other travel-related expenses for their riders and staff.
- Equipment and gear: Cycling teams must also invest in high-quality bikes, helmets, clothing, and other equipment for their riders. This can be a significant expense, as top-of-the-line equipment can be very expensive.
- Race fees and other expenses: In order to compete in races, teams must pay race entry fees and cover other expenses related to racing, such as food and transportation costs.
- Marketing and advertising: Many cycling teams are sponsored by companies that use the team as a way to advertise their products or services. Teams may use some of their budget to invest in marketing and advertising efforts to promote their sponsors.
- Miscellaneous expenses: There are a number of other miscellaneous expenses that can add up quickly, such as team uniforms, medical expenses, and insurance.
The budgets of WorldTour cycling teams can vary greatly depending on factors such as team size, sponsorships, and success on the professional cycling circuit.
2023 WorldTour team budgets ranking
- UAE Team Emirates: Estimated budget of €55 million to €60 million.
- Ineos Grenadiers: Estimated budget of €50 million to €55 million.
- Jumbo-Visma: Estimated budget of €50 million to €55 million.
- Lidl-Trek: Estimated budget of €30 million to €35 million.
- Soudal-QuickStep: Estimated budget of €25 million to €30 million.
- Bahrain Victorious: Estimated budget of €25 million to €30 million.
- Bora-Hansgrohe: Estimated budget of €25 million to €30 million.
- AG2R Citroën Team: Estimated budget of €20 million to €25 million.
- Movistar Team: Estimated budget of €20 million to €25 million.
- Groupama-FDJ: Estimated budget of €20 million to €25 million.
- Alpecin-Deceuninck: Estimated budget of €15 million to €25 million.
- Team dsm-firmenich: Estimated budget of €15 million to €25 million.
- Jayco-AlUla: Estimated budget of €15 million to €25 million.
- Astana Qazaqstan Team: Estimated budget of €18 million to €25 million.
- EF Education-EasyPost: Estimated budget of €18 million to €22 million.
- Cofidis: Estimated budget of €15 million to €20 million.
- Arkéa-Samsic: Estimated budget of €12 million to €20 million.
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux: Estimated budget of €12 million to €18 million.
It is important to note that these estimates are not official and can vary from year to year. Additionally, some teams may have additional sources of funding or sponsorships that are not reflected in these budgets.
