Pedersen breaks into the top 10 highest-earning cyclists thanks to personal sponsorship deals

Mads Pedersen has become one of the highest-earning riders in the international peloton. The Danish rider from Lidl-Trek would surpass 3 million euros annually between his salary and commercial agreements, an amount that would allow him to enter the top 10 of the highest-paid cyclists in the world. The figures come from an estimate published by the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, which has analyzed the economic value of the former world champion after some of his personal contracts became known.

Mads Pedersen could earn up to 3.5 million euros a year

The salary that Pedersen receives from Lidl-Trek is estimated to be between 2.5 and 3 million euros annually, according to figures published by La Gazzetta dello Sport. An important amount that, however, does not represent all the income that the Dane can generate thanks to his professional activity.

The difference lies in his personal sponsors. Some of these agreements were recently made public during the lawsuit that Mads Pedersen is maintaining against HBO for the unauthorized use of his image.

In his statement, the cyclist revealed that he had signed a two-year contract with Airtox, a manufacturer of safety footwear, for which he received about 228,000 euros annually.

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But the most important agreement is the one reached with CRIVIT, Lidl's clothing and sports equipment brand. This collaboration includes income exceeding 456,000 euros annually for five seasons, totaling more than 2.28 million euros.

The contract with CRIVIT will start on January 1, 2027, so these figures should be understood as a projection of his income and not as an amount that he has necessarily received already in 2026.

Based on his salary and these commercial agreements, Ekstra Bladet estimates that Pedersen's income could be between 3 and 3.5 million euros per season. The estimate does not equate to a salary figure confirmed by his team and does not guarantee that all agreements coincide in the same year.

The commercial value of Pedersen continues to grow

The increase in his income also reflects the importance that Pedersen has acquired as an advertising figure. The Dane is one of the great specialists in classics in the peloton and in 2026 added a stage and the green jersey of the Tour de France to his palmarès.

Additionally, in May 2025 he signed an indefinite contract with Lidl-Trek, a link that reinforces his position within the structure.

According to a study conducted for Ekstra Bladet, Pedersen currently ranks third among Danish athletes with the highest commercial potential, only behind Jonas Vingegaard and tennis player Holger Rune. A ranking in which he has moved from fifth place in 2025 to third in 2026.

"His profile is very strong commercially. He achieves results and, in addition, connects with a fairly broad target audience," explained Thomas Badura, a sports sponsorship specialist at Above Sports, to the Danish newspaper.

Pogačar continues to play in another economic league

Despite these figures, Pedersen is still far from the highest-earning riders in cycling.

Tadej Pogačar continues to lead the estimates with a salary close to 8.4 million euros annually at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, to which another 2.5 million from personal sponsorships and various commercial activities would be added.

Behind him are Remco Evenepoel, with an estimated salary close to 6 million euros, Jonas Vingegaard, with about 5 million, and Mathieu van der Poel, who would be around 4 million per season.

Pedersen's situation shows, in any case, that the income of the main stars of the peloton no longer depends exclusively on their contracts with the teams. Their ability to attract personal sponsors can represent a considerable part of what they earn annually.