Deignan, Martin & Roche move up in UCI rankings but Roche’s Ag2r still not safe

Philip Deignan has appeared for the first time this year in the UCI’s rider rankings following his second place on the third stage of the Tour of Beijing.

The RadioShack rider, who is moving to US-based Unitedhealthcare team for next year, netted four points for his stage placing in China, bringing him into the rankings in 177^th place.

Ireland retains its place at 15^th in the UCI nations’ rankings.

A total of 229 riders have scored ranking points in the individual rider rankings this year.

A very significant number of professional riders rarely, or never, score points. Points are only awarded in the UCI-ranked harder races on the international calendar.

While Deignan has been ranked much higher in the world before, he will nonetheless be pleased to get his first ranking points of 2011, albeit as the season is just closing.

Dan Martin retains his place in the top echelon of the rankings, in 19^th place on 206 points. He has been just inside the top 20 for most of the second half of the season following his stage wins in the Vuelta and Tour of Poland.

He also finished second overall in the Tour of Poland, was third overall in the Tour of Catalunya early in the season and has also tasted one-day victory in Italy this year.

Nicolas Roche, who beat Deignan into second place on the queen mountainous stage in Beijing, took UCI ranking points for that win, moving him up four places in the rider rankings to 128^th place, on 19 points.

That move is of crucial importance in that Roche has added to his team’s total points tally as they battle to remain in cycling’s top flight for next year.

Roche’s Ag2r team mate Jean Christophe Peraud took seventh overall in China. The points secured for this placing and those secured by Roche have lifted Ag2r up one placing in the UCI team rankings; from 18^th to 17^th.

While this is a positive development, there is room for only 18 teams in the WorldTour. It effectively means Ag2r are still in the relegation zone, though are now slightly better placed to survive.

They will need to get something from the Tour of Lombardy next Saturday.

They will then be hoping that a number of riders transferring into the team during the off season will bring enough points to save the team from relegation and that transfers into other teams will not bolster the points tally of their relegation-scrap rivals.

If Roche’s Ag2r team is relegated, it would take on Pro Continental status. This would leave it dependant on wild card entries into major races including the Grand Tours.

Ag2r now has 372 points, just three points ahead of 18^th placed bottom of the table Vacansoleil.

Directly above Ag2r is Quickstep, with a tally just seven points higher.

However, with RadioShack and Leopard Trek merging, HTC-Highroad folding, GreenEdge entering the sport, Pro Continental teams looking for promotion and a whole host of transfers yet to play out, the picture for next year is anything but clear yet.

UCI Rider World Rankings

1 GILBERT Philippe (OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO) 698

2 EVANS Cadel (BMC RACING TEAM) 574

3 CONTADOR Alberto (SAXO SUNGARD) 471

4 RODRIGUEZ Joaquin (KATUSHA TEAM) 366

5 SCARPONI Michele (LAMPRE - ISD) 357

6 MARTIN Tony (HTC-HIGHROAD) 349

7 SANCHEZ Samuel (EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI) 307

8 WIGGINS Bradley (SKY PROCYCLING) 289

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