Sanchez stays on top

Spanish riders dominate the latest world rankings released by the UCI, following a fortnight of solid results for riders from that country.

Luis Leon Sanchez continues to lead the standings thanks to his consistent start to the year, with the likes of Oscar Freire winning Milan-San Remo, Joaquin Rodriguez taking out the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde placing in some of the early-season stage races.

Consequently, five Spaniards sit in the top 10 of the latest rankings, with world champion Cadel Evans maintaining momentum in fourth place and Rein Taaramae making his presence felt with an appearance in eighth, the Cofidis rider having previously been in 29th spot.

The big mover was Bernhard Eisel, who moved up 42 places to 15th following his win in Gent-Wevelgem. The Austrian sits just two points behind former teammate Greg Henderson, who coincidentally slipped four places to 14th. The man who took second behind Eisel last weekend, Sep Vanmarcke, was the standout name, his performance helping him break through into the top 20, having previously been unranked in the UCI standings.

Another rider to climb the rankings was Cervélo TestTeam's Xavier Tondo, who shot up to 11th courtesy of a stage win in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. A great performance in that same stage and indeed the race also helped Joaquin Rodriquez to his second in the rankings, the Katusha rider now sitting 80 points behind leader and countryman Sanchez.

It's no surprise therefore, that Spain tops the nations and teams rankings, sitting well ahead of Italy in the list of countries, with Australia still holding onto third place. Sanchez's Caisse d'Epargne maintains its grip as the best squad in the rankings, with HTC-Columbia and now Katusha sitting in second and third respectively.

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UCI World Rankings - individuals
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne222pts
2Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha142Row 1 - Cell 3
3André Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia119Row 2 - Cell 3
4Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team116Row 3 - Cell 3
5Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone109Row 4 - Cell 3
6Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana107Row 5 - Cell 3
7Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank100Row 6 - Cell 3
8Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne100Row 7 - Cell 3
9Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne99Row 8 - Cell 3
10Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana96Row 9 - Cell 3
11Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Cervelo Test Team92Row 10 - Cell 3
12Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step86Row 11 - Cell 3
13Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni86Row 12 - Cell 3
14Greg Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team85Row 13 - Cell 3
15Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia83Row 14 - Cell 3
16Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo80Row 15 - Cell 3
17Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini78Row 16 - Cell 3
18Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha68Row 17 - Cell 3
19Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox62Row 18 - Cell 3
20Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator60Row 19 - Cell 3
21Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto60Row 20 - Cell 3
22Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo58Row 21 - Cell 3
23Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2R La Mondiale55Row 22 - Cell 3
24Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram54Row 23 - Cell 3
25Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi53Row 24 - Cell 3
26Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank52Row 25 - Cell 3
27Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank51Row 26 - Cell 3
28Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto44Row 27 - Cell 3
29George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team40Row 28 - Cell 3
30Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream40Row 29 - Cell 3
31Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team40Row 30 - Cell 3
32Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia40Row 31 - Cell 3
33Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream34Row 32 - Cell 3
34Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo30Row 33 - Cell 3
35Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni30Row 34 - Cell 3
36Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha30Row 35 - Cell 3
37Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox30Row 36 - Cell 3
38Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo21Row 37 - Cell 3
39Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo21Row 38 - Cell 3
40Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank12Row 39 - Cell 3
41Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Slipstream11Row 40 - Cell 3
42Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank11Row 41 - Cell 3
43Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack10Row 42 - Cell 3
44Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini10Row 43 - Cell 3
45Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto10Row 44 - Cell 3
46Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram8Row 45 - Cell 3
47Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream7Row 46 - Cell 3
48Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone7Row 47 - Cell 3
49Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne7Row 48 - Cell 3
50Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Footon-Servetto7Row 49 - Cell 3
51Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana6Row 50 - Cell 3
52Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack6Row 51 - Cell 3
53Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack6Row 52 - Cell 3
54Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne6Row 53 - Cell 3
55Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step6Row 54 - Cell 3
56Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram6Row 55 - Cell 3
57William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom6Row 56 - Cell 3
58Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia6Row 57 - Cell 3
59Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank6Row 58 - Cell 3
60Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team6Row 59 - Cell 3
61Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team6Row 60 - Cell 3
62Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha6Row 61 - Cell 3
63Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini5Row 62 - Cell 3
64Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank5Row 63 - Cell 3
65Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux5Row 64 - Cell 3
66Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom5Row 65 - Cell 3
67Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Radioshack5Row 66 - Cell 3
68Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux4Row 67 - Cell 3
69Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram4Row 68 - Cell 3
70Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini4Row 69 - Cell 3
71Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun4Row 70 - Cell 3
72Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne4Row 71 - Cell 3
73Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram4Row 72 - Cell 3
74Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank4Row 73 - Cell 3
75Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini4Row 74 - Cell 3
76Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi3Row 75 - Cell 3
77David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Farnese Vini2Row 76 - Cell 3
78Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni2Row 77 - Cell 3
79Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur - Sojasun2Row 78 - Cell 3
80Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne1Row 79 - Cell 3
81Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team1Row 80 - Cell 3
82Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux1Row 81 - Cell 3
83Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto1Row 82 - Cell 3
84Dominik Nerz (Ger) Team Milram1Row 83 - Cell 3
85Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia1Row 84 - Cell 3
86Davide Vigano (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team1Row 85 - Cell 3
87Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank1Row 86 - Cell 3
88Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha1Row 87 - Cell 3
89Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Caisse D'Epargne1Row 88 - Cell 3
90Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team1Row 89 - Cell 3
91Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux1Row 90 - Cell 3
92Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox1Row 91 - Cell 3
93Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux1Row 92 - Cell 3
94Mauro Finetto (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo1Row 93 - Cell 3
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Caisse D'Epargne327pts
2Team HTC - Columbia249Row 1 - Cell 3
3Team Katusha247Row 2 - Cell 3
4Liquigas-Doimo210Row 3 - Cell 3
5Astana209Row 4 - Cell 3
6Rabobank166Row 5 - Cell 3
7BMC Racing Team157Row 6 - Cell 3
8Cervelo Test Team132Row 7 - Cell 3
9Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni118Row 8 - Cell 3
10Acqua & Sapone116Row 9 - Cell 3
11Omega Pharma-Lotto115Row 10 - Cell 3
12Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne113Row 11 - Cell 3
13Lampre-Farnese Vini101Row 12 - Cell 3
14Sky Professional Cycling Team99Row 13 - Cell 3
15Colnago - Csf Inox93Row 14 - Cell 3
16Quick Step92Row 15 - Cell 3
17Garmin - Slipstream92Row 16 - Cell 3
18Team Milram76Row 17 - Cell 3
19Team Saxo Bank76Row 18 - Cell 3
20Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator60Row 19 - Cell 3
21Euskaltel - Euskadi56Row 20 - Cell 3
22Ag2R La Mondiale55Row 21 - Cell 3
23Team Radioshack27Row 22 - Cell 3
24Française Des Jeux12Row 23 - Cell 3
25BBox Bouygues Telecom11Row 24 - Cell 3
26Footon-Servetto7Row 25 - Cell 3
27Saur - Sojasun6Row 26 - Cell 3
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Nations
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Spain670pts
2Italy393Row 1 - Cell 3
3Australia284Row 2 - Cell 3
4Belgium255Row 3 - Cell 3
5Germany191Row 4 - Cell 3
6Estonia100Row 5 - Cell 3
7Kazakhstan96Row 6 - Cell 3
8Netherlands91Row 7 - Cell 3
9New Zealand85Row 8 - Cell 3
10Austria83Row 9 - Cell 3
11Czech Republic80Row 10 - Cell 3
12Ireland55Row 11 - Cell 3
13United States53Row 12 - Cell 3
14Norway46Row 13 - Cell 3
15Canada40Row 14 - Cell 3
16Russia37Row 15 - Cell 3
17France34Row 16 - Cell 3
18Slovakia21Row 17 - Cell 3
19Slovenia14Row 18 - Cell 3
20Denmark12Row 19 - Cell 3
21Argentina12Row 20 - Cell 3
22South Africa11Row 21 - Cell 3
23Portugal7Row 22 - Cell 3
24Great Britain6Row 23 - Cell 3
25Switzerland3Row 24 - Cell 3
26Colombia1Row 25 - Cell 3
27Belarus1Row 26 - Cell 3

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