The Belgian Cycling Federation has decided to end bonuses for cyclists who win medals in major competitions such as the UCI Road World Championships.

Lotte Kopecký has won five road race world titles in the past three years, including back-to-back road race victories, and Remco Evenepoel won the individual time trial after winning the road race in 2022.

According to a report in Sporza, the Belgian federation made this decision because the number of medals and the associated bonuses tripled between 2019 and 2023, threatening the organization's finances.

The bonuses include €25,000 for Kopecký's road race world title and €6,000 for Evenpoel's time trial title, which will reportedly total €125,576 in 2023, according to Het Nieuwsblad

Belgium.

Nathalie Clauwert, CEO of the Belgian Cycling Federation, said, “The system has proven to be no longer financially sustainable.”

The bonuses are an addition to the prize money offered by the UCI and are of particular interest to athletes in smaller disciplines who do not enjoy the salaries of riders like Evenpoel, but eliminating the incentives is also important to secure the future of other programs.

“It's a measure that was coordinated internally with athletes and national coaches,” Krawalt said. Said Klauwert, “We know it's not a popular measure, but we still managed to gain their understanding.”

The cost to national federations is rising due to the increased cost of flying to far-flung destinations such as Australia in 2022 and Rwanda next year.

“I also talk to fellow federations and they are struggling to keep their national programs going. There are several reasons for that,” added Klauert. [For example, hotel and airfare costs are going up. Wages are going up, and sports are becoming more internationalized. Think about the World Championships in Wollongong. Think about the World Championships being held in Wollongong.

This bonus is in addition to the 50,000 euros paid by the Belgian Olympic Committee for winning an individual gold medal; Evenpoel won two medals at this year's Paris Games, with a silver medal worth 30,000 euros and a bronze medal worth 20,000 euros.