This year, 184 riders from 23 teams took part in the Tour de France. In addition to their salaries, the cyclists in the peloton can also count on bonuses, which vary depending on the different rankings.
The biggest prize is naturally reserved for the overall winner of the general classification, who will lift the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées in Paris: 500 000 euros will be paid to him. The following in the general classification will receive decreasing amounts: 200 000 euros for the second, 100 000 for the third, and so on up to the 19th, who will receive 1 100 euros. All other runners classified up to the last place will receive a lump sum bonus of 1 000 euros each. A symbolic sum considering the 3 kilometers of effort that the race represents.
Daily rewards upon completing milestones
Each stage also offers its share of prizes. The stage winner pockets 11 000 euros, a significant sum which often constitutes a goal in its own right for some runners. The second and third place finishers are also well rewarded, respectively to the tune of 5 500 et 2 800 eurosFrom the fourth to the twentieth, the bonuses then vary between 1 500 et 300 euros.
The wearer of the yellow jersey, each evening, also receives 500 Euros for their daily performance. These bonuses are renewed for each stage, encouraging riders to fight daily, even outside of major ambitions for the general classification.
Distinctive jerseys: additional recognition
Other significant prizes are tied to specific jerseys. The green jersey for the points classification and the red-polka-dot jersey for the best climber each earn 25.000 euros for their final wearer in Paris. The white jersey, which rewards the best young rider under 25, is worth 20.000 euros, as is the award for the rider judged to be the most combative throughout the event.
At the same time, fighting spirit is also rewarded on a daily basis: the most combative rider in each stage receives 2.000 euros. This provides a concrete incentive to slip into breakaways, which are often doomed to failure, but which reward aggression and the desire to enliven the race.
Special bonuses for symbolic moments
The 2025 Tour also celebrates iconic stages and summits with one-off bonuses. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the polka dot jersey, the first rider to reach 50 points in the mountains classification will receive an exceptional bonus of 5 000 eurosThis amount will also be awarded to the rider who crosses the Col du Tourmalet (14th stage) first in the Jacques Goddet prize, and at the top of the Col de la Loze (18th stage) for the Henri Desgrange prize.
Another symbolic prize, that of the "best team member", will be awarded at the end of the 21 stages. It is endowed with 3 000 euros and underlines the importance of self-sacrifice within the peloton.
A collective spirit in the distribution of gains
Beyond the numbers, it's important to note that these bonuses aren't kept solely by the rider who wins them. In cycling tradition, all the winnings collected by a rider are generally redistributed to his team. This distribution includes his teammates, often serving the leader, but also the members of the staff: mechanics, soigneurs, directeur sportif. This economic solidarity reinforces the sense of teamwork in a discipline that relies on cohesion and the often thankless, behind-the-scenes work of teammates, whether in the preparation of sprints or high mountain stages...
