The UCI WorldTour is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ranking system based upon performances in these. The World Ranking was launched in 2009, (known from 2009–2010 as the UCI World Ranking) and merged fully with its predecessor the UCI ProTour in 2011. UCI WorldTeams must compete at all events that were part of the tour prior to the 2017 expansion.
Current season, competition or edition: 2024 UCI World Tour | |
 | |
| Sport | Cycling |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Organising body | Union Cycliste Internationale |
| No. of teams | 18 (Others invited on race by race basis) |
| Countries | International |
| Most recent champion(s) | Rider: Simon Yates (2018) Team: Quick Step (2018) |
| Most titles | Rider:  Joaquim Rodríguez(3 titles) Team: Movistar Team (4 titles) |
| Official website | UCI.org |
History edit
Until the end of 2004, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) maintained both the UCI Road World Rankings, which awarded results for all its sanctioned races, and the UCI Road World Cup, which was awarded on the basis of performance in ten selected one-day events. Both were replaced from the 2005 season by the UCI ProTour and UCI Continental Circuits. However, disputes between the UCI and ASO, the organisers of the Tour de France and other classics, and eventually with the organisers of the Tours of Italy and Spain, meant that by 2008 the ProTour was devalued as a ranking method, as only one of the Monument events, and three other classics, remained under the auspices of the UCI. As a result, the UCI World Ranking was introduced, merging performances from both the ProTour and other prestigious events.[1]
At the start of 2011, the ProTour and World Ranking were fully merged again.[2] The ranking system was re-branded as the 'World Tour', whilst 'ProTeam' [3] was retained as a registration category for professional teams. All ProTeams gain automatic entry to World Tour events.
Despite finishing second in the team rankings in 2012, Team Katusha were initially refused a place in the top tier for 2013.[4] After appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they were reinstated in February 2013, having already missed the 2013 Tour Down Under.[5] Although the UCI had earlier asserted that the reinstatement of Katusha would result in demotion of another team, they eventually announced that there would be 19 ProTour teams for that one season.[6] In 2015, there are only 17 teams, as there was no applicant for the 18th slot.
For the 2017 season the UCI added 10 new events to the calendar, bringing the total number of events to 38. The new events are: Tour of California, Tour of Qatar, Abu Dhabi Tour, Tour of Turkey, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, London–Surrey Classic, Eschborn–Frankfurt City Loop and Strade Bianche.
In 2019, the Three Days of De Panne (a one-day race, although its name retains a description of its former format) was added to the tour, and the Abu Dhabi Tour, having merged with the 2.HC ranked Dubai Tour, was rebranded as the UAE Tour. The World Tour ceased to be a ranking series, replaced in this regard by the UCI World Ranking.
Events (since 2019) edit
The UCI World Tour consists of 38 events. These events are made up from:
- The three Grand Tours
- The five Monument one-day races
- Ten further stage races in Europe
- Thirteen further one-day races in Europe
- One stage race in Australia
- One stage race in United Arab Emirates
- One stage race in China
- One one-day race in Australia
- Two one-day races in Canada
In 2009 and 2010, only riders for ProTour teams and Professional Continental teams could earn points. When a national squad, that is not a UCI registered team, participated in a race, its members were not eligible to receive points. In 2011, a rule change meant that only riders on ProTeam squads were eligible for points.
From 2012 to 2015, the team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships contributed points to the team classification only.
Results edit
Since 2019, the UCI Men's road racing world ranking, which includes points earned in races that are not part of the WorldTour, has superseded the points allocations for this series of races as the official rankings table for the sport.
Individual ranking (2009–2018) edit
Team ranking (2009–2018) edit
Nation ranking (2009–2022) edit
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Spain
|
 Italy
|
 Australia
|
| 2010 | Spain
|
Italy
|
 Belgium
|
| 2011 | Italy
|
Belgium
|
Australia
|
| 2012 | Spain
|
 Great Britain
|
Italy
|
| 2013 | Spain
|
Italy
|
 Colombia
|
| 2014 | Spain
|
Italy
|
Belgium
|
| 2015 | Spain
|
Italy
|
Colombia
|
| 2016 | Spain
|
Colombia
|
Great Britain
|
| 2017 | Belgium
|
Italy
|
 France
|
| 2018 | Belgium
|
France
|
Italy
|
Winners by race edit
Winners (2009–2016) edit
Winners after expansion (2017–2023) edit
Winners (since 2024) edit
Most race wins edit
Riders in italics are no longer active.
| Rank | Cyclist | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Tadej Pogačar |
19 |
| 2. | Primož Roglič |
15 |
| 3. | Alejandro Valverde |
14 |
| 4. | Philippe Gilbert |
13 |
| 5. | Chris Froome |
12 |
 Mathieu van der Poel
| ||
| 7. |  Peter Sagan |
10 |
| 8. | Alberto Contador |
9 |
| Simon Gerrans
| ||
| Vincenzo Nibali
| ||
| 11. | Remco Evenepoel |
8 |
 Alexander Kristoff
| ||
 Michał Kwiatkowski
| ||
| Richie Porte
| ||
| Wout van Aert
| ||
| 16. |  Fabian Cancellara |
7 |
| Nairo Quintana
| ||
| Greg Van Avermaet
| ||
| 19. | Julian Alaphilippe |
6 |
| Tom Boonen
| ||
| Joaquim Rodríguez
| ||
| Geraint Thomas
| ||
| Elia Viviani
| ||
| Tim Wellens
|
Race wins by country edit
Race wins by team edit
Teams in italics are no longer active.
UCI WorldTeams edit
Current UCI WorldTeams (2024 season) edit
Previous UCI WorldTeams edit
Teams in italics are no longer active.
| Team | Country | Seasons in World Tour | No. of seasons | Previous team names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto–Soudal | Belgium |
2009–2022 | 14 | Silence–Lotto (2009), Omega Pharma–Lotto (2010–2011), Lotto–Belisol (2012–2014) |
| Team Katusha–Alpecin |  Russia (2009–2016) Switzerland (2017–2019) |
2009–2019 | 11 | Team Katusha (2009–2016) |
| CCC Team |  United States (2011–2018) Poland (2019–2020) |
2011–2020 | 10 | BMC Racing Team (2011–2018) |
| Tinkoff |  Denmark (2009–2013) Russia (2014–2016) |
2009–2016 | 8 | Team Saxo Bank (2009–2010, 2012), Saxo Bank–SunGard (2011), Saxo Bank–Tinkoff Bank (2012), Saxo–Tinkoff (2013), Tinkoff–Saxo (2014–2015) |
| Team Qhubeka NextHash |  South Africa |
2016–2021 | 6 | Team Dimension Data (2016–2019), NTT Pro Cycling (2020), Team Qhubeka Assos (2021) |
| Cannondale | Italy |
2009–2014 | 6 | Liquigas (2009), Liquigas–Doimo (2009–2010), Liquigas–Cannondale (2011–2012) |
| Euskaltel–Euskadi | Spain |
2009–2013 | 5 | |
| HTC–Highroad | United States |
2009–2011 | 3 | Team Columbia–High Road (2009), Team Columbia–HTC (2009), Team HTC–Columbia (2010) |
| Vacansoleil–DCM | Netherlands |
2011–2013 | 3 | |
| Israel–Premier Tech |  Israel |
2020–2022 | 3 | Israel Start-Up Nation (2020–2021) |
| Footon–Servetto–Fuji | Spain |
2009–2010 | 2 | Fuji–Servetto (2009) |
| IAM Cycling | Switzerland |
2015–2016 | 2 | |
| Team Europcar | France |
2009, 2014 | 2 | Bbox Bouygues Telecom (2009) |
| Team Milram |  Germany |
2009–2010 | 2 | |
| Team RadioShack | United States |
2010–2011 | 2 |
Notes edit
- ^ Prior to its merger with the Dubai Tour in 2019, this was known as the Abu Dhabi Tour.
- ^ The E3 Prijs Vlaanderen — Harelbeke became part of the World Tour in 2012.
- ^ The so called Three Days of De Panne, by then a one day race despite its name, became part of the World Tour in 2019, after the Tour ceased to be a ranking series.
- ^ World ranking points as of the 2019 season
- ^ As of 1 March 2022, the UCI announced that cyclists from Russia and Belarus would no longer compete under the name or flag of those respective countries due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9]
References edit
- ^ "UCI listing of events and dates for the 2009 calendar". Uci.ch. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ ProTour is dead, long live the World Tour Cyclingweekly. Accessed 14-01-11
- ^ Presse Release - Registration of UCI ProTeams for the 2011 season UCI. Accessed 14-01-11
- ^ "Katusha denied 2013 WorldTour licence". Cycling News. Future Publishing. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ^ "CAS orders WorldTour licence for Katusha". Cycling News. Future Publishing. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ^ "UCI confirms 19 WorldTour teams for 2013". Cycling News. Future Publishing. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ^ "UCI Rankings points scale". Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ "UCI Cycling Regulations: Part 2 Road Races (version on 05.02.2019)" (PDF). uci.org. 5 February 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ "The UCI takes strong measures in the face of the situation in Ukraine" (Press release). UCI. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
External links edit
