Prize money women's Tour de France | What teams and riders took in cash prizes | Sticky Bottle

*Juliette Labous leads overall Tour de France Femmes winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot on the last stage; the latter topping the prize money list (Photo: Pauline Ballet)*

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma Lease a Bike) took control at Tour de France Femmes over the weekend, winning both stages to initially take the yellow jersey and then extend her lead. Twelve months after winning the MTB gold medal at the Paris Olympics, she was by far the strongest on the road and helped her team to the biggest haul of prize money.

Visma Lease a Bike, which won three stages and the overall on the race, won a combined €76,360 over the nine days of racing.

Ferrand-Prévot claimed €61,120 of that; topping the rider prize money list while her team won more than any other - see the teams and rider prize money lists below.

After Visma Lease a Bike, FDJ-SUEZ won €53,830, followed by Lara Gillespie's UAE Team ADQ on €25,320; her team taking two stage wins, with French revelation Maeva Squiban, and 4th in the final general classification, with Dominika Włodarczyk. Indeed, Gillespie, Squiban and Włodarczyk were the only three riders to finish the race for UAE Team ADQ.

In the rider prize money list, after Ferrand-Prévot's €61,120, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ), who was 2nd overall, was next on €33,560 followed by Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx Protime) 3rd on €13,950, after winning two stages and the points classification.

Overall, the prize money at the women's Tour was €259,430 compared to the total prize pot of €2,578,000 in the men's race. The overall victory in the men's and women's Tours was €500,000 Vs €50,000. For a stage win on the women's race there was €4,000 compared to €11,000 on the men's race.

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The points and climbers' classification wins on the women's race were worth €3,000 each, compared to €25,000 on the men's race.

Tour de France Femmes race director, Marion Rousse, has defended the prize money gap, saying the women's race was still relatively new and that the professionalism of the women's sport was also a relatively new concept.

"We need to acknowledge that women's cycling was almost non-existent just four years ago," she said. "There was no salary structure in place, and women were professional cyclists but often had to work during the day to earn a living. The most important thing is being able to live off your passion rather than just focusing on prize money that does not provide for a sustainable income."

She also believed, with the Tour de France Femmes being shorter than the men's race - nine stages compared to 21 stages - it was not a straight comparison, adding the main priority was for the women's race to continue and become solidly established in the years to come.

"When you compare the prize funds, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift actually boasts a larger prize pool than the Critérium du Dauphiné for an equivalent number of race days," Rousse said.

Team Prize Money