Alejandro Valverde tops UCI WorldTour 2014, as Chris Froome finishes seventh
Spaniard finishes just above compatriot Alberto Contador in the UCI's overall standings for the year, with Britain's Chris Froome finishing the season in seventh
Big results for Valverde, Contador and Froome at the Vuelta pushed them higher up the WorldTour rankings
(Image credit: Graham Watson)
Britain's Chris Froome finished seventh in the rankings despite a disappointing year, taking his biggest points at the Tour of Romandy and in the Vuelta a Espana. 2014 Grand Tour winners, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana finished fifth and sixth respectively, having both missed a significant amount of the last part of the season, while Vuelta winner Alberto Contador took second spot.
Tour de France champion Nibali tailed off towards the end of the season, finishing in fifth in the WorldTour
(Image credit: Graham Watson)
There's also a good showing for classics riders in the rankings, with Australia's Simon Gerrans finishing in third after his Liege-Bastogne-Liege win and Milan-San Remo winner Alexander Kristoff in eighth.
Gerrans' fantastic year in which he took Liege victory and big wins in Canada, as well as the Tour Down Under, saw him seal third place in the WorldTour
(Image credit: Casey B. Gibson)
The biggest recent movers in the standings include monument winner Dan Martin, who jumped thirty places having won Il Lombardia as well as a stage win and second place overall in Beijing.
Dan Martin's wins in Lombardy and Beijing saw him jump 30 places up the rankings into the top 10
(Image credit: Graham Watson)
Last year's world champion Rui Costa also jumped two places after his Beijing performance, but amassed hundreds of points by finishing second and third with amazing consistently throughout the year.
Overall victory in the Tour de Suisse was a rare highlight for Costa, who had a frustrating season in the rainbow jersey
Joaquim Rodriguez failed to make it three number one spots in a row after a disappointing year, where overall victory in the Volta a Catalunya was the standout
The UCI WorldTour 2015 is out already, and as usual kicks-off with the Tour Down Under in January. You can see the full year of WorldTour races on our calendar here.
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Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
