Tour de France 2018

[Patchelicious]

How much does the average TDF cyclists earn?

Much less than you think. The Savages posted some numbers a few days ago on Twitter, and sure they will share it.

 

But to put it in perspective, Lawson Craddock and Mellow Johnny's raised more money for a flooded Velodrome on Texas during the TDF by selling t-shirts and getting donations, than the team who came 3rd made from ASO prize money.

[shaper]

How much does the average TDF cyclists earn?

Very little !! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/0/tour-de-france-2018-prize-money-much-will-riders-teams-earn/

[Patchelicious]

Very little !! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/0/tour-de-france-2018-prize-money-much-will-riders-teams-earn/

 

This is sick.

 

But where does the issue sit? ASO needs to share, but they are not obligated too. In a free market, Teams could just decide to not attend, but the UCI forces WT teams to do certain races.

 

Not sure what the answer is, but this seems very unsustainable.

[Paddaman]

The great thing with pro cycling, is that income is generated by four forces, advertisement, sponsorship, industrial research input and betting.  Prize money counts for very little in the actual income of the teams and individual riders.

 

Advertisement and sponsorships are driven by the prospective audience, be it sport enthusiast or simple gamblers, which is monetized by the betting industry (Although some teams have been known to bet against themselves as well).

 

Industrial research, which is not limited to the cycling and sport clothing industry, but also various other industries, use the harsh environment of cycling as a cost effective way to test materials and designs that can be spun off into other applications (Ferrari for instance).

 

Obviously the other hidden aspect is the "national pride" input which Sky has cottoned onto to be able to get the British tax payer and British industry to pay for their endeavors.  However, there is still the small matter of that Kenyan-South African- Brit in the team........

 

As in any competitive sport victory goes to the competitor that reads the rules, plans his campaign, pushes the envelope,  and invests in effort, training, and technology.  He who dares, Wins.

[Ozzie NL]

Very little !! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/0/tour-de-france-2018-prize-money-much-will-riders-teams-earn/

The article only outlines the TdF price money. Riders are also paid a salary but unfortunately that is typically not a lot. A couple of years ago the average annual salary in the TdF was €70k and this includes the big boys who are paid well.

Latter also holds for the whole Sky team. Wout Poels is on US$1m. I believe that is a reasonable remuneration for a domestique of his level but it's more than what the team leader earns in most other teams.

 

Patch is on the money: The key is for ASO to start sharing some of the tv rights revenue as happens in most other sports. BUT they are too powerful and in effect no team can afford to flip them the birdy

[lechatnoir]

This is sick.

 

But where does the issue sit? ASO needs to share, but they are not obligated too. In a free market, Teams could just decide to not attend, but the UCI forces WT teams to do certain races.

 

Not sure what the answer is, but this seems very unsustainable.

 

I listened to a Freakonomics interview with Lance Armstrong, and he had EXACTLY Patch's point... 

 

But when people are greedy dwisses, this kind of thing happens.

[Dirt Tracker]

Much less than you think. The Savages posted some numbers a few days ago on Twitter, and sure they will share it.

 

But to put it in perspective, Lawson Craddock and Mellow Johnny's raised more money for a flooded Velodrome on Texas during the TDF by selling t-shirts and getting donations, than the team who came 3rd made from ASO prize money.

 

I wonder if ASO will drop prize money if the UCI carries on being all obsessed by Team Sky and slash teams to 6. ASO would be wringing their hands about that. Less riders, less hotels to be paid for, less prize money, more of the same revenue they love not sharing so the teams can stay viable. UCI should tackle the underlying issue with profit sharing but remember last time they tried that. 

[shaper]

The great thing with pro cycling, is that income is generated by four forces, advertisement, sponsorship, industrial research input and betting.  Prize money counts for very little in the actual income of the teams and individual riders.

 

Advertisement and sponsorships are driven by the prospective audience, be it sport enthusiast or simple gamblers, which is monetized by the betting industry (Although some teams have been known to bet against themselves as well).

 

Industrial research, which is not limited to the cycling and sport clothing industry, but also various other industries, use the harsh environment of cycling as a cost effective way to test materials and designs that can be spun off into other applications (Ferrari for instance).

 

Obviously the other hidden aspect is the "national pride" input which Sky has cottoned onto to be able to get the British tax payer and British industry to pay for their endeavors.  However, there is still the small matter of that Kenyan-South African- Brit in the team........

 

As in any competitive sport victory goes to the competitor that reads the rules, plans his campaign, pushes the envelope,  and invests in effort, training, and technology.  He who dares, Wins.

You are right, but the problem is that someone has to pay for this and it eventually trickles down the line to the consumer, more expensive bikes, groupsets, shower fittings, cookers, clothing etc

[Paddaman]

I listened to a Freakonomics interview with Lance Armstrong, and he had EXACTLY Patch's point... 

 

But when people are greedy dwisses, this kind of thing happens.

In a free market model, "greed is Good" so long as everyone is on the same song sheet.  If the rule is "to the victor goes the spoils" then obviously everyone will try a little harder to win.  However, France was not build on this idea, but rather on Equity, Fraternity and Liberty.  Which means that it is in their blood to pull down the winner in the moment of his glory and attempt to chop off his head.  So in this case "greed is good" may not be so true, largely because the French teams have lost imagination and simply cannot innovate within the current rules.  They had the same beef with LA when he was winning the TdF year in and year out.  Eventually they discovered and proved that he was not innovating within the rules.

 

As the Airforce is known to say Pi$$ Poor planning prevents proper performance.

[Jewbacca]

Umm

 

1m Euro a year? So over a million rand a month?

 

Since when was that NOT a decent salary?

 

70k Euro... Just under a million rand a year. Again, earning R81k zar a month. Again, when was this deamed an unreasonable wage?

 

Just because roundykickball players earn absolutely spastic amounts doesn't make it reasonable.

 

Whay should sportsing folk earn more than qualified engineers?

 

Let's not lose sight of reality. Expecting sportsmen to earn billions is ridiculous and just shows how far down the rabbit hole we have gone in idolizing normal humans. Actors, sportsing folk are all regarded as idols, role models etc but in reality they are just people.

 

It's a bit out of control how much money is spent on entertainment, be it sport or be it acting.

 

Make no mistake, sport is entertainment.

[Shebeen]

some insight into the sums that the event generates

 

http://inrng.com/2017/11/amaury-sport-accounts-finances/

 

Conclusion
How wealthy is ASO? This piece provides the numbers and ASO’s accounts show a company in rude health with the 2016 accounts showing record revenues and profits were only just down despite taking a hit on the Paris-Dakar motorsport rally. ASO is more than the Tour de France although the race has to be its prime asset.

It’s wealthy for a race organiser in pro cycling yet for the sake of argument imagine the Tour accounts for 50% of ASO’s activities and thereby about €23 million in annual profits. This sum is hardly game-changing if it were magically to be donated to the 18 World Tour teams. Instead ASO’s power is perhaps not financial but structural because it owns and controls the sport’s biggest competition and stages more races on the pro cycling calendar than any other. Add up the races ASO owns, runs and has marketing or television distribution agreements and it accounts for 53% of the number of days of racing in the World Tour calendar.

[Spurs]

Umm

 

1m Euro a year? So over a million rand a month?

 

Since when was that NOT a decent salary?

 

70k Euro... Just under a million rand a year. Again, earning R81k zar a month. Again, when was this deamed an unreasonable wage?

 

Just because roundykickball players earn absolutely spastic amounts doesn't make it reasonable.

 

Whay should sportsing folk earn more than qualified engineers?

 

Let's not lose sight of reality. Expecting sportsmen to earn billions is ridiculous and just shows how far down the rabbit hole we have gone in idolizing normal humans. Actors, sportsing folk are all regarded as idols, role models etc but in reality they are just people.

 

It's a bit out of control how much money is spent on entertainment, be it sport or be it acting.

 

Make no mistake, sport is entertainment.

 

The main reason I see in this is that a sports career is 5-15 years long, whereas a normal career would be 40-50 years long.  No one would want to work for 5-15 years long, earning the same as a regular job, then have to begin a new career once they retire, starting from the bottom again.

 

Sure, they can easily transition into commentary and the like, but that's only a select few, the average professional does not have this option

[DieselnDust]

Not at all... I took up cycling and the surrounding interests post Lance, so I am neither disillusioned nor spurned regarding cyclists' creative pharmaceutical and chemical exploits...

 

But I would love you to explain how your observation leads us to believe G has won this tour doped up? Since 11 years ago he was able to finish second last... Go ahead.

 

 

Show me a tour winner who went from last to first without the use of PED's. In fact he's never finished on the podium of a Grand Tour in the past 11years and somehow I'm to believe in marginal gains and 5% body fat....

 

BTW I'm not asking you or anyone to believe in anything, I'm not a pastor.

[Jewbacca]

The main reason I see in this is that a sports career is 5-15 years long, whereas a normal career would be 40-50 years long.  No one would want to work for 5-15 years long, earning the same as a regular job, then have to begin a new career once they retire, starting from the bottom again.

 

Sure, they can easily transition into commentary and the like, but that's only a select few, the average professional does not have this option

This argument holds no water with me unfortunately.

 

Sport is entertainment. They earn insane salaries because we, the consumer, want more sport, we want it to be more exciting, we want the best to always participate etc..

 

We as the consumer create the demand and drive up salaries and value by driving up the importance of the players.

 

They will still earn in 5 to 8 years what a cleaner earns in his whole life at the current salaries. Most of these guys have no qualifications or higher education so have about as much potential value to to the economy as menial workers and lower level management. 

[HDW]

The main reason I see in this is that a sports career is 5-15 years long, whereas a normal career would be 40-50 years long.  No one would want to work for 5-15 years long, earning the same as a regular job, then have to begin a new career once they retire, starting from the bottom again.

 

Sure, they can easily transition into commentary and the like, but that's only a select few, the average professional does not have this option

 

No one is forcing them to become professional sportsmen. The don't have to be paid a full careers salary in 10 years time because they chose a short career as their first one.

[Patchelicious]

No one is forcing them to become professional sportsmen. The don't have to be paid a full careers salary in 10 years time because they chose a short career as their first one.

Absolutely, nobody is forcing them to do it. But like I said, if the revenue models don't change, the sport as we know it will whither away over time. 

 

If the athletes could choose which races they did, they could make a better living. But they are forced to do certain races where the organisers get the lions share.

 

Sooner or later, somebody is going to capitalise on this and create a model like the IPL, and the riders will turn their backs on TDF etc for greener pastures. Much like we see things like the Ashes becoming less and less relevant.

 

Then you will see ASO/UCI crying and probably try and force some for regulation like most backward organisations do when their business models become obsolete.