Boonen continues to lead WorldTour rankings after final Spring Classic
By Cycling News
Spain top nation, Omega Pharma-QuickStep still best team
Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) continues to lead the UCI WorldTour rankings after Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) clinched an impressive solo triumph in the final Spring Classic of 2012, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but the gaps are beginning to close at the top of the table on the 31-year-old Belgian.
At Liège, Iglinskiy launched a late counter-attack behind lone breakaway rider Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) that proved far more profitable than the 31-year-old Kazakh had anticipated. Rather than ‘just’ claiming the second place result that he had thought was the best possible outcome, Iglinskiy caught and passed Nibali on the long ascent to the finish at Ans.
As a result, Kazakhstan now has its third Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory in the last seven years. It was also Astana’s second Classic win in a week after Enrico Gasparotto captured the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday - before finishing third at Liège behind Iglinskiy and Nibali.
Boonen did not compete in the Ardennes Classics and his points total remains unchanged at 366. Nibali, however, jumped from sixth to second with 272 points while Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), seventh at Liège, moved into third place with 252 points.
Nibali’s strong performance, coupled with Gasparotto’s continuing strong run of results, has at least partly enabled Italy to close the gap on Spain in the nations ranking. While Spain remains in the number one spot with 881 points, Italy has closed the gap and moved into second place at 765 points. Belgium, meanwhile, dropped a spot and holds third place at 674 points after earning a mere four points in the last major Spring Classic
As for the UCI WorldTour's teams ranking, Nibali’s strong performance has had a clear impact. Liquigas-Cannondale could not overtake Omega Pharma-Quick Step in the number one slot at 547 points, but with 80 extra points in the bag the Italian team has at least ousted Katusha from the second place in the rankings and trails the Belgian team by 33 points.
However, the biggest mover in the teams ranking is undoubtedly Astana, who with first and third at Liège, not to mention 14th for another Astana rider, Croatia's Robert Kiserlovski, has now made it into fourth place overall. The 152 points earned at Liège gives the team 408 points and moved them from eighth to fourth.
Now that Liège-Bastogne-Liège has brought down the curtain on the 2012 Spring Classics season, the WorldTour turns its attention to stage racing, starting with the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland, beginning today, April 24, and concluding on April 29.
1 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 366 | pts |
2 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 272 | |
3 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 252 | |
4 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale | 229 | |
5 | Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team | 222 | |
6 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 210 | |
7 | Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team | 180 | |
8 | Michael Albasini (Swi) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 172 | |
9 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | 167 | |
10 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 166 | |
11 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 150 | |
12 | Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Barracuda | 132 | |
13 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 131 | |
14 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling | 112 | |
15 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD | 106 | |
16 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team | 104 | |
17 | Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 100 | |
18 | Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan | 96 | |
19 | Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 92 | |
20 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 90 | |
21 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan | 86 | |
22 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team | 78 | |
23 | Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team | 74 | |
24 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 72 | |
25 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team | 72 | |
26 | Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack-Nissan | 72 | |
27 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | 71 | |
28 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | 70 | |
29 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 67 | |
30 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team | 66 | |
31 | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling | 63 | |
32 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling | 61 | |
33 | Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team | 60 | |
34 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 60 | |
35 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling | 60 | |
36 | Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 52 | |
37 | Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 51 | |
38 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | 51 | |
39 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling | 50 | |
40 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Sky Procycling | 42 | |
41 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan | 40 | |
42 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 40 | |
43 | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat | 40 | |
44 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan | 33 | |
45 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 32 | |
46 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda | 31 | |
47 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan | 30 | |
48 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team | 30 | |
49 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank | 30 | |
50 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 24 | |
51 | Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 24 | |
52 | André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team | 22 | |
53 | Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 21 | |
54 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling | 20 | |
55 | Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team | 20 | |
56 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | 16 | |
57 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 15 | |
58 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 14 | |
59 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat | 14 | |
60 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin - Barracuda | 12 | |
61 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team | 12 | |
62 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Barracuda | 11 | |
63 | Steve Chainel (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat | 10 | |
64 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 10 | |
65 | Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda | 10 | |
66 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 10 | |
67 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team | 8 | |
68 | Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 8 | |
69 | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team | 7 | |
70 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat | 7 | |
71 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 7 | |
72 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | 6 | |
73 | Cameron Meyer (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 6 | |
74 | Daryl Impey (RSA) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 6 | |
75 | Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 6 | |
76 | Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team | 6 | |
77 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling | 6 | |
78 | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | 6 | |
79 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 5 | |
80 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | 5 | |
81 | Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD | 5 | |
82 | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team | 4 | |
83 | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team | 4 | |
84 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | 4 | |
85 | Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Movistar Team | 4 | |
86 | Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan | 4 | |
87 | Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 4 | |
88 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 4 | |
89 | Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team | 4 | |
90 | Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | 4 | |
91 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | 3 | |
92 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 3 | |
93 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | 2 | |
94 | Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling | 2 | |
95 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 2 | |
96 | Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Katusha Team | 2 | |
97 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling | 2 | |
98 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin - Barracuda | 2 | |
99 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat | 1 | |
100 | Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team | 1 | |
101 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | 1 | |
102 | Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 1 | |
103 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | 1 | |
104 | Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 1 | |
105 | Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team | 1 | |
106 | Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 1 | |
107 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 1 | |
108 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 1 | |
109 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) RadioShack-Nissan | 1 | |
110 | Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | 1 | |
111 | Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 1 | |
112 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo Bank | 1 | |
113 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 1 | |
114 | Robbie McEwen (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team | 1 |
1 | Spain | 881 | pts |
2 | Italy | 765 | |
3 | Belgium | 674 | |
4 | Netherlands | 404 | |
5 | Australia | 315 | |
6 | Switzerland | 258 | |
7 | Slovakia | 229 | |
8 | United States | 153 | |
9 | Ireland | 132 | |
10 | France | 120 | |
11 | Great Britain | 118 | |
12 | Norway | 113 | |
13 | Kazakhstan | 100 | |
14 | Germany | 94 | |
15 | Czech Republic | 78 | |
16 | Slovenia | 77 | |
17 | Croatia | 74 | |
18 | Portugal | 72 | |
19 | Colombia | 65 | |
20 | Denmark | 60 | |
21 | Austria | 51 | |
22 | Canada | 12 | |
23 | Belarus | 8 | |
24 | Russia | 8 | |
25 | Poland | 8 | |
26 | South Africa | 6 | |
27 | Sweden | 6 | |
28 | Luxembourg | 1 | |
29 | New Zealand | 1 | |
30 | Argentina | 1 |
1 | Omega Pharma-Quickstep | 547 | pts |
2 | Liquigas-Cannondale | 516 | |
3 | Katusha Team | 502 | |
4 | Astana Pro Team | 408 | |
5 | GreenEdge Cycling Team | 402 | |
6 | Sky Procycling | 366 | |
7 | BMC Racing Team | 350 | |
8 | RadioShack-Nissan | 327 | |
9 | Rabobank Cycling Team | 254 | |
10 | Euskaltel - Euskadi | 252 | |
11 | Lotto Belisol Team | 207 | |
12 | Movistar Team | 205 | |
13 | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 202 | |
14 | Garmin - Barracuda | 196 | |
15 | Lampre - ISD | 194 | |
16 | AG2R La Mondiale | 112 | |
17 | FDJ-Big Mat | 72 | |
18 | Team Saxo Bank | 32 |
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