Just wondering… 💡

There is a pic from a recent enduro that Fabien won where he’s holding a cheque for 500 euro & I’ve seen Gee Atherton holding a 750 dollar cheque for a dh he won.

Alway thought you’d get more for winning as a pro

I’m guessing most of the cash will come from sponsorship rather than race wins……

Last time this came up someone said Gee Atherton was on around £100K a Year, dont know what source that was from though.

Jon

That’s prize money tho podge, surely they get a salary too…

Can’t be much, most of the also rans outside the top ten seem to have other jobs in the off season. There was a quote in (possibly) dirt about ‘being sponsored’ not being the same as ‘being pro(fessional)’ and that very few riders actually made a living out of the raceing.

There was another article (cycling weekly?) that had a comment allong the lines of “you could win the california state criterium series, but that’s not noteworthy enough for Shimano to be interested”, as Shimano already Sponsor Wiggins so don’t need any more. Unless you really are number one you’re not really marketable.

You seen where Peaty lives?

Yes, that is prize money, I thought they’d get more for winning

11.50 an hour, time and a half on Sundays. Most races are on Sundays so they’re laughing..

So the slower they are, the more they earn? Clever!

Don’t know about DH’ers, but I know that a top ten world ranked Triathlete clears about £75,000-85,000 a year including wages, sponsorship and prize money.
So, maybe comparable? Though I suspect it very much depends on the rider and their profile. Winning isn’t everything, and a lot of athletes have toes dipped in clothing brands, films, training/coaching and writing for papers and magazines.

Define Pro.
Full factory wc rider on a team with endorsements (Peaty,Atherton,Gwin,Hart etc)
Independant international wc team rider (Hannah,Beer,etc)
Privateer Brand supported wc riders (Cathro,Reid,Bond)
Importer/shop supported national riders who do selected wc’s.
At the top 100k+,at the bottom nowt.

I bet Gwin is on way more than 100K

Top 10 will be on good money, I’m sure I heard CG saying that only 5 or so were on the big money. I have friends who are top pro skateboarders who get prize money matched from sponsors plus wage.

The pros I know are lower end on the world cup and they make a reasonable living but are not minted.

define “reasonable”, there’s no job security if injured and no one will insure a pro athletes income or health

I know it’s not a direct comparison but a lot of British Superbike riders have to pay for rides, never mind earning a wage.
I suspect most MTB pros are on a very low wage if anything.

crotchrocket – Member

define “reasonable”,

Not much more than me- so yes, job security/shortness of career is a big issue, but offset against the whole dream job thing.

Define pro…STFU you can’t be serious.

Crotchrocket – the athertons are always injured yet they seem to be doing alright and never lose sponsorship…

Gwinn must put a hell of a lot revenue the way of his sponsors deserving a 6 figure salary IMO….

I heard from a (possibly very unreliable) source that Peaty gets in the region of £20k a year just for wearing 661 kneepads…

There was a video series last year where Fabian Barel went to visit a load of pros, I remember thinking that Cedric Gracia looked pretty comfortable, i’ll try and find it.

Edit: Here it is, go to about 2:40 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdhg_1VVd_k

Whatever their income is, it would appear most pro MTBers need quite a complicated revenue stream in order to do what they do for a living.

It may seem a dream job, but I bet it’s also quite tough.

backtorootsracing – Member
There was a video series last year where Fabian Barel went to visit a load of pros, I remember thinking that Cedric Gracia looked pretty comfortable, i’ll try and find it.

Edit: Here it is, go to about 2:40 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdhg_1VVd_k

I remember reading somewhere that Gracia was on a six figure salary. That was at Volvo Cannondale, and probably when there was alot more moeny in downhill.

CG, like Peaty is a guy that the youth will see as cool and therefore buy the brand they wear.

On looking at that vid, CG is a made-man!

Swoons 🙄

Gwinn must put a hell of a lot revenue the way of his sponsors deserving a 6 figure salary IMO….

Given the hooharrr about his move from Trek to Spesh I’d be surprised if a lot of money wasn’t involved. But in the grand scheme of things it’s probably 5% of what a comparable roadie earns!

no one will insure a pro athletes income or health

Yes they do, isn’t cheap tho

Either Dirt or MBUK interview Cg years ago and he said he had a lot of investments outside of the sport which is where he made a lot of his money rather than pissing it all up the wall like a lot of others did.

Also I always thought their salaries would be quite low compared to other industries, but that a lot of their expenses (travel, kit, health) would be covered so that when you actually see their pay it was going to be pretty low. Just with lots of benefits.

But who knows? Few are going to turn around and say what they earn. Although I expect only a very small number make a lot out of it.

Yeah. CG has car dealerships if I remember correctly.

I think the ones who make proper money have their money in other interests, Peaty started Royal, Cedic has his money in other stuff (I thought it was a bar / club). However there was a story about when Palmer came on the scene he helped Peaty get a good deal from GT all those years back.

I recon top pros with factory teams are on a good whack with good bonuses and winnings – TAX free?

Look at the money Red Bull are flashing at the moment, heli drops etc. Each major sponsor could pay reasonable a wage but then times that by 5/6 – clothing, bike, forks, components, goggles, helmet, protection, tyres – all sell products off the back of race / media coverage.

6 figures per year is not really very much at all when you realise that their career as a pro lasts nowhere near as long as other ‘normal’ professions. OK, there may be be other opportunities in the industry after their racing career ends but it isn’t exactly a well defined career path.
Also we’re talking about sports people at the top of the game taking huge physical risks – 6 figures per year is nowt relatively.

patriotpro – Member
Define pro…STFU you can’t be serious.

Charming, he was just answering your question.

I worked with and know an ex pro. Asked him this exact question. For him, top 20 one year, there was a very small salary plus travel expenses, race fees, insurance, and bikes and parts. It was excepted that racers sell off kit at the end of the season to help fund a lifestyle. He said his best year, actually the year before he quit when he wasn’t really trying, his “wage” was about £10k. But he lived in his race van all season and he rode his bike for a job all over the world.

His parents are seriously well off and supported him through his pro years. From what he told me, the Athertons etc. are a business. It’s a full time job just managing the sponsorship and profile of the team to ensure the team are there to sponsor. If you get my drift.

He now has his own engineering business and tests for Specialized. Last time I saw him he was still sponsored by some parts, clothing, shoes and sunglasses. Not enough to make a fortune, but he swore loudly when he found out how much the rest of us have to pay for parts.

I heard Hill was on 100K $ from Specialized alone when he first signed for them.

palmer signed for $100K to specialized.

I’d have thought Peaty was more of a Bentley man though…

Also we’re talking about sports people at the top of the game taking huge physical risks – 6 figures per year is nowt relatively.

Really? for a non mainstream sport it sounds pretty good to me. As a comparison, the BEST climber in the world (with a very high/positive media profile)is probably on 50K max. He will train just as hard as an Atherton or a Gwin.

When I competed at World cup comps (12th world ranking until I ran out of money) all I got was free boots and climbing gear. I had to pay for my own travel and prize money was at the level the juvaniles won at the BDS in Fort William. 🙁

Thing about climbing, is the outdoor market favours Mountaineers for sponsorship eg I suspect Chris Bonington and Doug Scott were on a reasonable wage from Berghaus etc (neither are poor).

Charming, he was just answering your question.

Are you his mother?