Alejandro Valverde rises to top of UCI WorldTour

Alejandro Valverde has moved to the top of the UCI WorldTour ranking after claiming overall victory in Volta a Catalunya in Spain on Sunday.

The Spanish Movistar rider takes pole position in the ranking, deposing South African Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) who has topped the WorldTour since winning the Tour Down Under in January.

Valverde had previously also won the Abu Dhabi Tour and finished fourth in Strade Bianche.

>>> Simon Yates breaks away to win Volta a Catalunya final stage as Valverde seals overall

Impey slips to third in the latest ranking, updated on Sunday after the final stage of Volta a Catalunya and cobbled classic Ghent-Wevelgem.

Ghent-Wevelgem winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) moves to second in the table. Both Valverde and Sagan have previously topped the WorldTour at season's end – Sagan in 2016, and Valverde in 2014 and 2015.

There are several other notable changes in the top order of the WorldTour ranking, with Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) jumping from 15th to fourth after placing second in Ghent-Wevelgem.

>>> Peter Sagan sprints to victory in fast and furious Ghent-Wevelgem 2018

British rider Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) also makes a move, riding from ninth to seventh after winning the final stage of Volta a Catalunya and placing fourth overall.

Quick-Step Floors now move into the lead in the team ranking, replacing Mitchelton-Scott thanks to Viviani's second in Wevelgem and Niki Terpsta's win at E3 Harelbeke.

The men's WorldTour continues on Wednesday, March 28, with Dwars Door Vlaanderen and then the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, April 1 – both in Belgium.

Points are awarded to riders who place highly in WorldTour races, with more points on offer for more prestigious races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France.

D'hoore leads women's WorldTour

There are changes to the women's WorldTour ranking too, with Ghent-Wevelgem runner-up and Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde winner Jolien D'hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) taking over the number one slot ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM).

Ghent-Weveglem winner Marta Bastianelli (Ale Cipollini) moves up eight places to third spot.

Despite a change in the leader, it's Belgian team Boels-Dolmans that still top the womne's team ranking.

The next race in the 2018 women's WorldTour is the Tour of Flanders in Belgium on Sunday, April 1.

UCI WorldTour men’s ranking (as of Mar 25)

Individual riders

1. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, 1039 pts

2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe, 951 pts

3. Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott, 862 pts

4. Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors, 817 pts

5. Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 792 pts

6. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, 766 pts

7. Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott, 760 pts

8. Marc Soler (Esp) Movistar, 745 pts

9. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky, 613 pts

10. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, 570 pts

Teams

1. Quick-Step Floors, 3163 pts

2. Mitchelton-Scott, 3140 pts

3. Movistar, 2677 pts

4. BMC Racing, 2386pts

5. Bora-Hansgrohe, 2333 pts

UCI WorldTour women’s ranking (as of Mar 25)

1. Jolien D’hoore (Bel) Mitchelton-Scott, 380 pts

2. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, 350 pts

3. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale Cipollini, 350 pts

4. Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans, 290 pts

5. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Ale-Cipollini, 280 pts

6. Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans, 253 pts

7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Waowdeals Pro Cycling, 235 pts

8. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans, 205 pts

9. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana, 185 pts

10. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle-High5, 160 pts

Teams

1. Boels-Dolmans, 982 pts

2. Canyon-SRAM, 933 pts

3. Ale Cipollini, 729 pts

4. Mitchelton-Scott, 691 pts

5. Waowdeals Pro Cycling, 343 pts