Endura on top in EuropeTour

British-based squad Endura Racing has leap-frogged French outfit Saur-Sojasun to hit the top of the Union Cycliste Internationale's EuropeTour team ranking after another successful month on the continent.

The ranking is calculated from points scored by riders in counting events across Europe. Endura riders have so far amassed 468.8 points - just 2.8 more than Saur-Sojasun.

Devon man Jonathan Tiernan-Locke is the main contributor, with 286.2 points to his name from wins in the Tour of the Mediterranean and Tour du Haut Var. He currently leads the individual EuropeTour ranking by a wide margin over second-placed Jerome Coppel (139 points).

Russell Downing added to the squad's tally with a win at the Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers in France on March 4.

Last week, Endura riders impressed at the Tour of Normandy, with Ian Wilkinson and Erick Rowsell both taking stage wins. Rowsell finished in seventh place overall in the eight-stage race.

Endura's line-up at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in Italy placed second in the stage 2b team time trial, beating several WorldTour outfits in the process. German Paul Voss also gave the squad sixth overall at the race, which finished on Saturday.

Along with fellow British team Sky's position at the top of the WorldTour ranking, it is the first time that British teams have occupied the top slots of the two most prestigious race rankings.

Even more remarkable is that Endura are a third-tier Continental registered team - below the top-tier WorldTour and second-tier Professional Continental level teams.

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