Remco Evenepoel earns hefty sum for post-Tour de France criterium appearances

Belgian cycling star Remco Evenepoel is capitalizing on his Tour de France success, transforming his podium finish into significant earnings through lucrative exhibition criterium races. Just a day after the conclusion of the Grand Tour, Evenepoel was back on his bike, winning the first post-Tour criterium in his hometown of Aalst.

Belgian and British media reports suggest Evenepoel commands an appearance fee of approximately 50,000 euros for each criterium. His victory in Aalst reportedly brought him a notable 100,000 euros. Organizers stated that Evenepoel's presence attracted an estimated 75,000 spectators to the event in Aalst, justifying the high fee.

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I have to stay focused until Saturday, then comes the break.

The organizer of the Aalst criterium openly admitted that the Belgian ace was "richly paid" for his appearance, though the exact figure was not disclosed to avoid impacting negotiations with other cyclists. Evenepoel's second-place finish in the Tour de France itself already earned him 247,800 euros in official prize money, which is traditionally distributed among his team members and staff.

These criterium appearances, however, represent a personal income stream, as organizers primarily pay top stars for their participation and ability to draw crowds. Evenepoel mentioned he needs to remain focused until Saturday before taking a break. He shared details of his celebration after the Tour, including a team dinner and an early night before traveling to Aalst. As Evenepoel does not consume alcohol, the effects of the late night were minimal. He also competed in the Roeselare criterium and is set to participate in the upcoming Clásica de San Sebastián.

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We had a nice dinner on Montmartre with the team, some food and drinks, then I was in bed around 2:30 AM, and at 9 AM we were already on our way to Aalst.