Tadej Pogacar’s earnings reach record high with €13 million season

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogačar’s income has continued to rise through a combination of his UAE Team Emirates XRG salary, personal sponsorships, merchandise and performance bonuses.

His team contract accounts for €8 million per year, while a fifth Tour de France victory added another €1 million. Finishing 2026 as the world number one is set to bring a further €500,000.

The biggest change compared with 2025 comes from his commercial portfolio. Personal sponsorship income has risen from around €2 million last year to €2.5 million, with Pogačar now working with ten main partners, including Colnago, DMT, MET, Continental, Enervit, MyWhoosh, KuCoin, Richard Mille and Whoop.

Merchandise is estimated to generate another €1 million.

And the €13 million figure may still rise. Victory at the Vuelta a España would reportedly be worth another €500,000, while winning the World Championships would add €250,000.

Despite growing demand around cycling’s biggest star, agents Alex and Johnny Carera are deliberately limiting the number of brands Pogačar works with. The idea is to protect his commercial value rather than maximise the number of deals.

Part of that income also flows back into cycling and charity.

Speaking to Domestique earlier this year, Carera explained that money generated through Pogačar’s personal partnerships helps support his youth cycling projects and foundation.

“The most important thing is that he doesn't need this money,” Carera said. “He wants to help other people who need more than him.”

Carera has now estimated that Pogačar puts at least €1 million per year into charitable causes and his youth cycling programme.

Pogačar’s appeal is growing beyond race results and earnings. He has passed three million followers on Instagram, while the Pogi Challenge in Slovenia, staged shortly after the Tour, once again drew strong interest around the five time Tour winner.

There is little sign, however, that his rising profile will change his future with UAE Team Emirates XRG. Pogačar is contracted through 2030 and Gazzetta reports that the Slovenian expects to remain closely linked to the team after that.

“I will stay here forever,” Pogačar has reportedly told people close to him. “I feel very good here and I have no desire to change.”

What remains less clear is how long he will continue racing. 

A contract extension into 2031 or 2032 is possible, with the plans of his partner Urška Žigart also likely to influence the timing of his eventual retirement. Žigart, who rides for AG Insurance-Soudal, is under contract until 2028.

However long Pogačar chooses to keep racing, his value has clearly moved far beyond what he does on the bike.