Compton becomes new leader of UCI 'cross rankings

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The UCI released its latest cyclo-cross rankings today, highlighted by Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) overtaking Marianne Vos (Rabobank Women Team) to become the new leader of the elite women's standings. Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor) retained a slim lead over Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony) for elite men, while junior men's superstar Mathieu van der Poel remains comfortably atop his category's standings having gone undefeated thus far this season.

Despite not starting her 'cross season until this past Sunday at Superprestige Gieten, reigning world champion Marianne Vos had led the women's UCI rankings since the start of the season due to the rolling 12-month points tabulation format. Compton has been steadily chipping away at Vos's lead, however, and having won her second World Cup round of the season in Koksijde on Saturday plus taking two victories at US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Derby City Cup weekend earlier in November, Compton edged ahead of Vos 1,980 points to 1,940 to take over the lead.

European champion Helen Wyman (Kona), Belgian champion Sanne Cant (Veldritacademie Enertherm - BKCP) and Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea) each moved up a position to third, fourth and fifth respectively as Daphny van den Brand, who retired at the end of the 2011-2012 'cross season, dropped from third to seventh on her steady descent down the rankings.

While Wyman missed the podium for the first time at a 'cross World Cup this season at Koksijde, where she finished fifth, the 31-year-old Briton had a morale-boosting victory the following day at Superprestige Gieten where she beat Vos by 38 seconds to take the win.

The top-10 of the elite women's nations rankings remain unchanged with the Netherlands continuing to lead at 4,730 points. Great Britain retains second with 3,908 points followed by the United States in third at 3,079 points.

For the elite men, Sven Nys's points tally remained unchanged at 2,070 on the 12-month rolling format, but Pauwels lost nearly 200 points as he dropped from 2,283 to 2,089 since the last rankings update on November 6, 2012. Pauwels has had difficulty making the podium in recent weeks and with a lowly (by his standards) 12th place World Cup result at Koksijde (won by Nys) following a hard crash in the early laps, his commanding early season lead has been reduced to just 19 points.

World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) remains in third overall at 1,976 points while Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Revor), a winner on Sunday at Superprestige Gieten, moves from sixth to fourth place with 1,563 points.

Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) holds steady at fifth place (1,389 points) while Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), who's not currently competing in 'cross, dropped from fourth to sixth on his steady descent down the rankings.

The highest-ranked North American rider, reigning US champion Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus), didn't contest the latest World Cup round in Koksijde and dropped from 10th to 11th overall with 995 points.

Belgium continues to hold a commanding lead on the elite men's nations standings with 6,135 points, 3,508 more than second-placed Czech Republic. The Netherlands remains in third (2,437 points) followed by the United States in fourth (2,379 points).

The junior men's category doesn't utilise the rolling 12-month tabulation system like the elite ranks, and instead starts with a clean slate. As reigning world champion Mathieu van der Poel has gone undefeated thus far this season it's no surprise that he dominates the standings with 180 points, 82 more than runner-up Quentin Hermans of Belgium. Dutchman Martijn Budding remains in third at 64 points while reigning US junior champion Logan Owen moves from sixth to fourth with 55 points.

The top five remains unchanged in the junior men's nations standings with the Netherlands in the lead with 247 points. Belgium (180 points) holds second, followed by the United States in third (100 points).