Tadej Pogacar is set to become the best paid professional cyclist in history when he signs a new contract with UAE Emirates this winter.
Pogacar is set earn an annual salary of nearly £7m in his six-year deal, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a figure which will be topped up by bonuses for race victories. That compares to around £4m that rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel are set to earn next season at Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-Quick-Step respectively.
The Slovenian 26-year-old has just completed one of the greatest seasons in road race history, winning two of cycling’s grand tours – the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France – along with the World Championships for a historic triple crown previously achieved only by Ireland’s Stephen Roche and the great Eddy Merckx.
The contract also includes an eye-watering £170m buyout clause, making it almost impossible for another team to lure Pogacar away during the peak years of his career.
Pogacar has already outlined plans for the 2025 season, with a potential double of Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana on the cards. The Spanish grand tour is the only one left for him to conquer.
Pogacar now has four grand tour wins overall to go along with seven victories in the prestigious one-day Monuments.
He is set to try and defend his world title in Rwanda next September, but the UAE Emirates leader will again carefully pick and choose his races through the season.
“He won’t do Paris-Roubaix because we can’t expect him to always be a phenomenon,” said team manager Mauro Gianetti.
Pogacar recently suggested that he may one day try to complete a Giro-Tour-Vuelta treble.
“I’ll probably have to go to the Tour [de France] again,” Pogacar recently explained to Slovenian outlet Delo. “At the beginning of the season, also I’ll be at UAE Tour, which I haven’t been to for two years.
“I will most likely be at the Tour of Flanders again, which I missed this year, but I am also thinking about taking part in the Vuelta.
“I might try all three [grand tours] in the same season when I’m a bit older. We’ll see, I don’t feel like being away for so long. Next season, we will again undertake two three-week tests, but various possibilities remain open in the future. I may only want to do one three-week race again.”
