The Tour de France gets underway today with 23 teams set to take part in the best-known cycling competition. Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel are among the favourites to win this year's event.

Like most sports, cyclists' pay is meritocratic. Most competitors accrue the majority of their earnings through prize money. At the very top of the sport, the biggest names can make millions in sponsorships and endorsements. Teams also pay their riders a basic salary, which will depend on their quality. The prize money for the 2025 Tour de France is very slightly under £2million. The riders' union adds an extra 11.82 per cent on top of the prize money.

That means the total pot for the Tour de France is around £2.2m. It is the biggest pot in the sport, considerably larger than the Giro d'Italia, which dished out just under £1.4m last year.

Almost half of the prize money at the Tour de France is dished out based on where cyclists place in the General Classification (GC). The winner earns £432,705. Second and third-place take home £173,038 and 86,519, respectively. The figures go down decrementally per position, with 10th place earning £3,289. The leader of the GC wears a yellow jacket.

Riders can also earn money based on where they finish in each stage of the Tour de France. Each stage is treated equally, regardless of the difficulty or part of the race. That ranges from £9,514 for first place, to £519 for 10th-placed.

The race for the green jersey can also provide financial rewards. It is worn by the rider who accumulates the most points at stage finishes and intermediate sprints. Other opportunities to earn money include the polka dot jersey, being the best young rider, the most aggressive rider, and being voted the best team member.

Some cyclists are therefore richer than others. According to Gazzetto dello Sport, Pogacar is believed to have around around £5m last year through various forms of income. Vingegaard, who is backed to push the Slovenian during the route to Paris, is said to have earned around £3.4m.

Former Tour winner Alberto Contador believes Pogacar will claim a fourth victory this year, although he believes Vingegaard is best place to take advantage of any lapses. He told TNT Sport: "That will be very difficult. But if there is one rider who can do it on the Tour de France, it's Jonas Vingegaard. Will it be easy? No. We are witnessing a Tadej Pogacar, that year by year gets stronger, more solid and more consistent.

"But Jonas Vingegaard does know what it means to win the Tour de France. He knows what it is to go head-to-head against Tadej Pogacar. He is a rider who is obsessed with the Tour de France, so if there is one rider who could do it, it's Jonas Vingegaard."