Sorry guys, but no one makes that kind of $$ from mtb companies.
All but the very top handful of world cup racers work regular jobs to pay the bills...and take time off to race/train (especially here in the USA where cycling in general is not a widely supported sport by the masses). No one is making millions(these days), NO one. (and IF anyone is actually bringing in six figures, it is NOT from mtb.....it is because they are a 'lifestyle personality'.
Guys like Cedric do well because of sponsors like Oakley, same for guys like Kyle Stait...corporate 'lifestyle sponsors' far outclass and pay much more $$ than any mtb company. This is not exclusive to mtb at all, people like Tiger make more $$ from Nike and Oakley than anything related ot actual golf.
Now, if you go back about 20 years, when MTB had lots of corporate sponsors, and was on TV, there was some real $$ around (six figure sallaries for big names) due to combined corporate support for teams/athletes...but with no TV coverage, and almost no big sponsors (the big mtb companies dont even participate in sponsorship/put $$ into the FR/DH side of the sport) corporate/lifestyle/automobiles etc.
Unfortunately, I dont see this changing much in the US, due to the fact that the general public thinks of all bikes/cycling as a toy for kids, not a truely demanding athletic sport(no sponsor is going to pay large $ to a 'kid' to ride a 'toy'). One needs to look no farther than the road cycling world (where million dollar sallaries are normal) to see the difference in the world vs US view on cycling. Any and all promising road cyclist moves to europe if the ever want to get somewhere with it. It is much like soccer...
Until/unless the US perception of cycling (every type) changes fundmentally....FR/Dh salaries are WAY to FAR down on the 'athlete' ranking for anyone here to make any money.
