Peter Sagan is the new UCI WorldTour leader

World Champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) has moved to the top of the UCI WorldTour Ranking after winning Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

After a string of near misses in races this season, Sagan won the Ghent-Wevelgem classic in Belgium after out-sprinting his fellow escapees just two days after placing second at E3 Harelbeke behind Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky). The Slovak also placed second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Sagan now sits seven points ahead of second-placed Richie Porte (BMC). Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) moves up from 10th to third after second place in Volta a Catalunya, with that race's winner - Nairo Quintana (Movistar) - entering the ranking in eighth.

Paris-Nice winner Geraint Thomas (Sky) slips from seventh to ninth, with fellow British rider and team-mate Ben Swift drops down to 12th. Chris Froome (Sky) enters the ranking for the first time this season after placing eighth overall in Volta a Catalunya.

>>> Peter Sagan takes his first win in the rainbow jersey at the 2016 Ghent-Wevelgem

With two riders in the top three, Tinkoff usurps Sky at the top of the team ranking.

Australia retains its place at the head of the nation ranking, with Belgium in second and Great Britain hanging on to third.

WorldTour points are awarded for one-day race, tour stage and stage race overall finishing positions for counting events.

The amount of points awarded depends on the ranking of the event. For example, winning the Tour de France overall gives a rider twice as many points as winning the Eneco Tour overall.

Next event in the 2016 WorldTour is the Tour of Flanders in Belgium on Sunday, April 3.

UCI WorldTour Ranking 2016 (as at Sunday, March 27)

1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff 229 points

2. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing 222 points

3. Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff 171 points

4. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing 162 points

5. Arnaurd Démare (Fra) FDJ 137 points

6. Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky 115 points

7. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 113 points

8. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar 104 points

9. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 104 points

10. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 102 points

Other

12. Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky 92 points

31. Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge 31 points

39. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky 20 points

55. Steve Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 6 points

Team ranking

1. Tinkoff (Russia) 474 points

2. Team Sky (Great Britain) 463 points

3. BMC Racing (USA) 448 points

Nation ranking

1. Australia 450 points

2. Belgium 361 points

3. Great Britain 297 points