Gilbert assumes world number one ranking
Ardennes re-shuffles UCI rankings, Sanchez drops to fifth
Philippe Gilbert of Omega Pharma-Lotto has leapt to the top of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) world rankings after finishing fourth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The week of the Ardennes Classics saw significant changes occur to the top ten.
Gilbert, one of the most consistent riders in this year's Spring Classics, had moved from sixth to third last week with his victory in the Amstel Gold Race. This week he took the top placing in the rankings with 292 points, 11 points ahead of Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde, who moved up from fifth to second place.
After the Flèche Wallonne last Wednesday, Katusha had announced Joaquim Rodriguez as the leader virtuel in the rankings. The Spaniard finished second at Flèche, but finished only 44th at Liège, moving into third place in the official UCI list.
World Champion Cadel Evans of BMC Racing Team took a big leap up from ninth place to fourth place, while former leader Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) went the other direction, falling from first to fifth.
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) also fell four places, and Saxo Bank's Fabian Cancellara went from sixth to seventh. Neither rider has raced since Paris-Roubaix.
One of the biggest winners of the week was Alberto Contador of Astana. The defending Tour de France champion finished third in Flèche Wallonne and 10th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, moving himself up from 15th to eighth place.
Christopher Horner of RadioShack and Cervélo's Thor Hushovd round out the top ten.
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The winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), secured his first UCI ranking points of the season and moved into 17th place.
There were no changes at the top of the team rankings. Caisse d'Epargne continues to lead Katusha, but Omega Pharma-Lotto and Astana swapped places, with the Belgian team now fourth behind the Kazakhstani team.
The next UCI ranking will be released after ProTour race Tour de Romandie, in which Gilbert and Valverde are both participating. Neither Evans nor Rodriguez will ride, as their teams were not invited, and Sanchez is not scheduled to race.
1 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 292 | pts |
2 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 281 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha | 268 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 246 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 222 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step | 216 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 200 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | 161 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack | 144 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam | 120 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | André Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | 119 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana | 116 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank | 112 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo | 110 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - D'angelo & Antenucci | 109 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions | 103 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana | 100 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 100 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 100 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam | 92 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam | 90 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 86 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Greg Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 85 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 85 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia | 83 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | 82 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team | 80 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 78 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 72 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
30 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 71 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
31 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 70 | Row 30 - Cell 3 |
32 | Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha | 68 | Row 31 - Cell 3 |
33 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank | 63 | Row 32 - Cell 3 |
34 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - Csf Inox | 62 | Row 33 - Cell 3 |
35 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 60 | Row 34 - Cell 3 |
36 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 60 | Row 35 - Cell 3 |
37 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 58 | Row 36 - Cell 3 |
38 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 57 | Row 37 - Cell 3 |
39 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana | 56 | Row 38 - Cell 3 |
40 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2R La Mondiale | 55 | Row 39 - Cell 3 |
41 | Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram | 54 | Row 40 - Cell 3 |
42 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 52 | Row 41 - Cell 3 |
43 | Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | 52 | Row 42 - Cell 3 |
44 | Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 46 | Row 43 - Cell 3 |
45 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 44 | Row 44 - Cell 3 |
46 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | 41 | Row 45 - Cell 3 |
47 | Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 40 | Row 46 - Cell 3 |
48 | Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC - Columbia | 40 | Row 47 - Cell 3 |
49 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin - Transitions | 34 | Row 48 - Cell 3 |
50 | Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux | 32 | Row 49 - Cell 3 |
51 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 30 | Row 50 - Cell 3 |
52 | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha | 30 | Row 51 - Cell 3 |
53 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha | 30 | Row 52 - Cell 3 |
54 | Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 30 | Row 53 - Cell 3 |
55 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - Csf Inox | 30 | Row 54 - Cell 3 |
56 | Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 24 | Row 55 - Cell 3 |
57 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 21 | Row 56 - Cell 3 |
58 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo | 21 | Row 57 - Cell 3 |
59 | Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 20 | Row 58 - Cell 3 |
60 | Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 12 | Row 59 - Cell 3 |
61 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 12 | Row 60 - Cell 3 |
62 | Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Transitions | 11 | Row 61 - Cell 3 |
63 | Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | 11 | Row 62 - Cell 3 |
64 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 10 | Row 63 - Cell 3 |
65 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 10 | Row 64 - Cell 3 |
66 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | 10 | Row 65 - Cell 3 |
67 | Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 10 | Row 66 - Cell 3 |
68 | Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack | 10 | Row 67 - Cell 3 |
69 | William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 10 | Row 68 - Cell 3 |
70 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | 8 | Row 69 - Cell 3 |
71 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - D'angelo & Antenucci | 7 | Row 70 - Cell 3 |
72 | Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Footon-Servetto | 7 | Row 71 - Cell 3 |
73 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 7 | Row 72 - Cell 3 |
74 | Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team | 6 | Row 73 - Cell 3 |
75 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 6 | Row 74 - Cell 3 |
76 | Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 6 | Row 75 - Cell 3 |
77 | Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack | 6 | Row 76 - Cell 3 |
78 | Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 6 | Row 77 - Cell 3 |
79 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank | 6 | Row 78 - Cell 3 |
80 | Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step | 6 | Row 79 - Cell 3 |
81 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | 6 | Row 80 - Cell 3 |
82 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack | 6 | Row 81 - Cell 3 |
83 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia | 6 | Row 82 - Cell 3 |
84 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 6 | Row 83 - Cell 3 |
85 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 5 | Row 84 - Cell 3 |
86 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux | 5 | Row 85 - Cell 3 |
87 | Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 5 | Row 86 - Cell 3 |
88 | Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank | 5 | Row 87 - Cell 3 |
89 | Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Radioshack | 5 | Row 88 - Cell 3 |
90 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step | 4 | Row 89 - Cell 3 |
91 | Hayden Roulston (NZl) Team HTC - Columbia | 4 | Row 90 - Cell 3 |
92 | Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux | 4 | Row 91 - Cell 3 |
93 | Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram | 4 | Row 92 - Cell 3 |
94 | Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 4 | Row 93 - Cell 3 |
95 | Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank | 4 | Row 94 - Cell 3 |
96 | Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 4 | Row 95 - Cell 3 |
97 | Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram | 4 | Row 96 - Cell 3 |
98 | Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 4 | Row 97 - Cell 3 |
99 | Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 3 | Row 98 - Cell 3 |
100 | Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 2 | Row 99 - Cell 3 |
101 | Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux | 2 | Row 100 - Cell 3 |
102 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | 2 | Row 101 - Cell 3 |
103 | David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 2 | Row 102 - Cell 3 |
104 | Peter Velits (Svk) Team HTC - Columbia | 2 | Row 103 - Cell 3 |
105 | Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 2 | Row 104 - Cell 3 |
106 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | 1 | Row 105 - Cell 3 |
107 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Team HTC - Columbia | 1 | Row 106 - Cell 3 |
108 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Team Milram | 1 | Row 107 - Cell 3 |
109 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 1 | Row 108 - Cell 3 |
110 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux | 1 | Row 109 - Cell 3 |
111 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux | 1 | Row 110 - Cell 3 |
112 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 1 | Row 111 - Cell 3 |
113 | Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha | 1 | Row 112 - Cell 3 |
114 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 1 | Row 113 - Cell 3 |
115 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 1 | Row 114 - Cell 3 |
116 | Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 1 | Row 115 - Cell 3 |
117 | Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | 1 | Row 116 - Cell 3 |
118 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | 1 | Row 117 - Cell 3 |
1 | Caisse d'Epargne | 509 | pts |
2 | Team Katusha | 478 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Astana | 433 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Omega Pharma-Lotto | 417 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Team Saxo Bank | 334 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | BMC Racing Team | 333 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Cervelo Test Team | 302 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Team HTC - Columbia | 289 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Liquigas-Doimo | 240 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Euskaltel - Euskadi | 230 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Quick Step | 226 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Garmin - Transitions | 205 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Rabobank | 190 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Team Radioshack | 171 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Sky Professional Cycling Team | 169 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Lampre-Farnese Vini | 162 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Androni Giocattoli | 118 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Acqua & Sapone - D'angelo & Antenucci | 116 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 113 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 110 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Colnago - CSF Inox | 93 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Team Milram | 76 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Ag2R La Mondiale | 65 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 60 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Française Des Jeux | 44 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Landbouwkrediet | 40 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 15 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Footon-Servetto | 7 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Saur - Sojasun | 6 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
1 | Spain | 1044 | pts |
2 | Belgium | 712 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Australia | 415 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Italy | 393 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | United States | 287 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Kazakhstan | 216 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Switzerland | 204 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Germany | 195 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Norway | 126 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Russia | 119 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | France | 119 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Czech Republic | 110 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Netherlands | 109 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Canada | 103 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Estonia | 100 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Great Britain | 96 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | New Zealand | 89 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Austria | 83 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Luxembourg | 70 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Ireland | 55 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Slovakia | 23 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Slovenia | 14 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Denmark | 12 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Argentina | 12 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | South Africa | 11 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Portugal | 7 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Belarus | 1 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Colombia | 1 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |