When Peter Sagan sprinted across the finish line in the iconic Roubaix velodrome on Sunday after conquering Paris-Roubaix, he added the name of one of the biggest races to his already lengthy list of victories – and with it a significant financial prize.
The 28-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider netted €30,000 (£26,160) for victory after six hours of riding in the gruelling 257-kilometre race that famously takes in just over 54 kilometres of rough cobbled roads in northern France.
Sagan's €30,000 winner's earnings are part of a total prize pot of €91,000 for the race, which sees financial rewards handed out to the top 20 riders.
Swiss rider Silvan Dillier (Ag2r La Mondiale) received €22,000 (£19,189) for placing second, with Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors) getting €15,000 (£13,083) for third spot.
Looking down to the bottom of the list of prize money, Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain-Merida) received €500 for placing 20th.
However, Paris-Roubaix cost Sagan and Dillier some money too. According to the Paris-Roubaix post-race jury report, the riders were both fined 1000 Swiss Francs (£739 or €848) for taking 'unauthorised refreshment' during the final 20km, which is against the UCI's race regulations.
The biggest race on the calendar - the three-week Tour de France – has a total prize pot of €2,287,650 (£2 million). The overall winner receives €500,000 (£436,000).
As with the majority of sporting events, the money generated from winning doesn't just end with the prize money. The exposure for the individual rider and team in winning a prestigious event will help attract sponsorship and endorsements. Plus Sagan may also receive a winner's bonus from the team, a sum which usually remains confidential.
The real value of winning Paris-Roubaix will significantly exceed €30,000.
However, it's all small change compared to the prize money awarded in other sports. The men's singles winner at the Wimbledon tennis tournament in 2017 netted £2,200,000, and the winner of the 2018 Masters golf took home £1,405,542. The Ferrari Formula 1 team earned an estimated, eye-watering sum of £180 million in 2017.
Paris-Roubaix 2018 prize money and who won it
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe, €30,000
2. Silvan Dillier (Sui) Ag2r La Mondiale, €22,000
3. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors, €15,000
4. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, €7,500
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, €3,200
6. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac, €1,700
7. Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin, €1,500
8. Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First-Drapac, €1,300
9. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors, €1,200
10. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, €1,100
11. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb, €1,000
12. Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale, €900
13. Wout van Aert (Bel) Veranda's Willems-Crelan, €800
14. Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, €700
15. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors, €600
16. Amund Grondahl Jansen (Nor) LottoNL-Jumbo, €500
17. John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo, €500
18. Marco Marcato (Ira) UAE-Team Emirates, €500
19. Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky, €500
20. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida, €500
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
Peter Sagan given suspended prison sentence for drink driving offenceThree-time road world champion also banned from driving for three months, on eve of Tour de France
-
Seven tech insights spotted at Paris-Roubaix 2023
From tyre pressure systems to old-school chainrings, here's what Cycling Weekly saw at the race
-
Ineos Grenadiers rider runs half marathon after finishing Paris-Roubaix
Cameron Wurf is a triathlete, so it's unfair really. He is not the first cyclist to dabble with trainers, however
-
Tweets of the week: Cobbles, barbecues, and what on earth is curry ketchup?
Strap in for our pre-Paris-Roubaix round-up of social media's finest
-
Why goats are helping ready Paris-Roubaix's cobbles for spring
Cared for by a local charity, a herd of goats are enjoying their new duties in the Forest of Arenberg
-
Eyeing the Olympic mountain bike race in Paris, Peter Sagan will retire from WorldTour racing at season's end
Finishing how he started, the former road world champion will race one last mountain bike-focused year in 2024
-
Winner Dylan van Baarle shares impressive Strava data from fastest-ever Paris-Roubaix
The Dutchman covered the 257.2km route in 5-37-00, winning with a powerful solo attack 19km from the finish line
-
Is the Paris-Roubaix tubular dead? Why tubeless tyres are winning on the cobbles
The unique challenges of the Hell of the North place much emphasis on wheel selection. We talk to two teams and two wheel manufacturers about solving the problem that is Roubaix
