Winning the Tour de France is one of the greatest achievements in sports.
It’s also far less lucrative than many fans probably realize.
While champions at Wimbledon, The Masters and Formula One races routinely earn millions, the winner of cycling’s biggest race earns a fraction of that amount.
Instead, the Tour rewards riders through dozens of prize categories spread across its three-week journey across France, from daily stage victories to iconic jerseys, mountain climbs and team awards.
By the time the peloton rolls into Paris, roughly €2.57 million ($2.939 million USD) in prize money will have been distributed across the race.
Editor’s Note: U.S. dollar conversions are approximate based on the exchange rate on July 4, 2026. Official Tour de France prize money is paid in euros.
How Much Does the Tour de France Winner Earn?
The rider who pulls on the famous yellow jersey in Paris receives €500,000 (about $570,000) for winning the general classification.
Prize money is then awarded all the way through 160th place in the final standings, ensuring every rider who finishes the Tour earns something, even if they never win a stage.
The 2026 overall general classification payouts are listed below.
- 1st: €500,000 (about $570,000)
- 2nd: €200,000 (about $228,000)
- 3rd: €100,000 (about $114,000)
- 4th: €70,000 (about $79,800)
- 5th: €50,000 (about $57,000)
- 6th: €23,000 (about $26,220)
- 7th: €11,500 (about $13,110)
- 8th: €7,600 (about $8,664)
- 9th: €4,500 (about $5,130)
- 10th: €3,800 (about $4,332)
- 11th: €3,000 (about $3,420)
- 12th: €2,700 (about $3,078)
- 13th: €2,500 (about $2,850)
- 14th: €2,100 (about $2,394)
- 15th: €2,000 (about $2,280)
- 16th: €1,500 (about $1,710)
- 17th: €1,300 (about $1,482)
- 18th: €1,200 (about $1,368)
- 19th: €1,100 (about $1,254)
- 20th through 160th: €1,000 (about $1,140) each
Simply making it to Paris is an accomplishment in itself, and every classified finisher from 20th through 160th earns the same payout.
Stage Winners Cash In Every Day
Winning a Tour stage remains one of cycling’s biggest accomplishments, and every victory comes with an immediate payday.
Each of the race’s 21 stages awards prize money to the top-20 finishers, meaning riders can build substantial earnings over three weeks even if they never challenge for the overall title.
Stage payouts are listed below.
- 1st: €11,000 (about $12,540)
- 2nd: €5,500 (about $6,270)
- 3rd: €2,800 (about $3,192)
- 4th: €1,500 (about $1,710)
- 5th: €830
- 6th: €780
- 7th: €730
- 8th: €670
- 9th: €650
- 10th: €600
- 11th: €540
- 12th: €470
- 13th: €440
- 14th: €340
- 15th through 20th: €300 each
Intermediate sprint bonuses are also available during each stage:
- 1st: €1,500 (about $1,710)
- 2nd: €1,000 (about $1,140)
- 3rd: €500
Those daily prizes can quickly add up for sprinters and breakaway specialists who consistently race near the front of the peloton.
Every Jersey Comes With Prize Money
The Tour’s famous jerseys don’t just symbolize success. They also pay.
Every day a rider wears one of the race’s four classification jerseys, they receive an additional cash bonus on top of any stage earnings.
The daily jersey bonuses are:
- Yellow jersey: €500 per day
- Green jersey: €300 per day
- Polka dot jersey: €300 per day
- White jersey: €300 per day
At the conclusion of the Tour, the final classification winners receive much larger payouts.
Green Jersey (Points Classification)
- 1st: €25,000 (about $28,500)
- 2nd: €15,000 (about $17,100)
- 3rd: €10,000 (about $11,400)
- 4th: €4,000 (about $4,560)
- 5th: €3,500 (about $3,990)
- 6th: €3,000 (about $3,420)
- 7th: €2,500 (about $2,850)
- 8th: €2,000 (about $2,280)
Polka Dot Jersey (Mountains Classification)
- 1st: €20,000 (about $22,800)
- 2nd: €15,000 (about $17,100)
- 3rd: €10,000 (about $11,400)
- 4th: €5,000 (about $5,700)
White Jersey (Best Young Rider)
- 1st: €50,000 (about $57,000)
- 2nd: €30,000 (about $34,200)
- 3rd: €20,000 (about $22,800)
- 4th: €12,000 (about $13,680)
- 5th: €8,000 (about $9,120)
Climbing the Biggest Mountains Pays, Too
Some of the Tour’s most iconic climbs come with rewards that go beyond bragging rights.
In addition to the standard mountain classification points, two legendary ascents carry special cash bonuses for the first rider to reach the summit.
Those awards are:
- Col du Tourmalet (Stage 6): €5,000 (about $5,700)
- Col du Galibier (Stage 20): €5,000 (about $5,700)
Elsewhere throughout the race, categorized climbs also award prize money based on their difficulty.
Hors Catégorie (HC) climbs
- 1st: €800
- 2nd: €450
- 3rd: €300
Category 1 climbs
- 1st: €650
- 2nd: €400
- 3rd: €150
Category 2 climbs
- 1st: €500
- 2nd: €250
Category 3 climbs
- 1st: €300
Category 4 climbs
1st: €200
For climbers who spend much of July attacking mountain stages, those bonuses can steadily add to their overall earnings.
The Tour Rewards Aggressive Racing
Not every prize is reserved for stage winners or jersey holders.
The Tour also recognizes riders who make the race exciting by attacking, joining breakaways and animating each stage.
The combativity prizes include:
- Most combative rider (18 eligible stages): €2,000 (about $2,280) per stage
- Super Combative Award (overall): €20,000 (about $22,800)
The daily combativity prize is awarded on 18 stages. The two individual time trials and the final stage into Paris are excluded before the jury selects one overall Super Combative rider at the end of the Tour.
Team Success Pays, Too
Although the spotlight often falls on the rider in yellow, the Tour de France is ultimately a team sport.
The squad with the lowest cumulative time across its top-three riders each day competes for the team classification, which carries significant prize money.
The final team classification payouts are:
- 1st: €50,000 (about $57,000)
- 2nd: €30,000 (about $34,200)
- 3rd: €20,000 (about $22,800)
- 4th: €12,000 (about $13,680)
- 5th: €8,000 (about $9,120)
The best team on each stage also receives:
- Daily best team: €2,800 (about $3,192)
Across the entire race, €178,800 is awarded through the team classification.
The Tour also honors the rider judged to be the race’s best teammate.
Those bonuses include:
- Week 1 Best Teammate: €2,000 (about $2,280)
- Week 2 Best Teammate: €2,000 (about $2,280)
- After Stage 20: €2,000 (about $2,280)
- Overall Best Teammate: €3,000 (about $3,420)
Do Individual Riders Actually Keep All their Prize Money?
Usually, they don’t.
One of professional cycling’s oldest traditions is pooling prize money earned throughout the Tour and sharing it across the entire team.
Rather than pocketing every euro themselves, riders typically contribute their winnings into a common fund that’s divided among teammates, mechanics, soigneurs, sports directors and other staff members who helped make those results possible.
It’s one more reminder that while cycling celebrates individual champions, success at the Tour de France is rarely achieved alone.
For many riders, the official prize money also represents only a portion of their earnings. Stage victories, jersey wins and strong overall finishes often trigger performance bonuses written into contracts, while success at cycling’s biggest race can lead to lucrative sponsorship opportunities and higher salaries in future seasons.
That’s why lifting the yellow jersey in Paris is worth far more than the €500,000 (about $570,000) first-place prize.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
