Richie Porte still tops WorldTour ranking despite challenge from Kristoff

Australian Richie Porte (Sky) has maintained his top spot in the latest UCI WorldTour ranking, although Tour of Flanders winner Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) is threatening Porte's position after enjoying his best season yet.

Norwegian Kristoff has moved up to second place in the WorldTour table after Sunday's Belgian success, bumping British rider Geraint Thomas (Sky) down to third. Thomas missed out on points in Flanders after finishing outside the top 10.

Like Porte, Kristoff has earned points in every WorldTour race he taken part in so far this season. In addition to Kristoff's haul after winning Flanders, he also has points from second place at Milan-San Remo, and from E3 Harelbeke, Paris-Nice and Ghent-Wevelgem. With 10 victories so far this season, no other rider has won as much as Kristoff.

Flanders runner-up Niki Terpstra (Etixx-QuickStep) also moves up the table considerably, leaping from 21st in the previous week's ranking to fourth.

Porte is now aiming for success at the Giro d'Italia in May, where a good result will see him strengthen his lead in the ranking.

There's no change in the top three of the latest team ranking, with Team Sky occupying the top slot ahead of Etixx-QuickStep in second and Katusha in third.

Australia also keeps it place at the head of the WorldTour nation ranking, but there's a big shuffle around of the nations below them with the Netherlands now in second, Italy third and Great Britain slipping from sixth to eighth.

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.

Alejandro Valverde (Spain – Movistar) topped the 2014 WorldTour ranking; top British rider was Chris Froome (Sky) in seventh.

The next WorldTour events are: Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco (April 6-11) and Paris-Roubaix (April 12).

UCI WorldTour rankings (as at April 5 after the Tour of Flanders)

Rider ranking
1. Richie Porte (Aus) Sky 303 points

2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha 233 points

3. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky 184 points

4. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx-QuickStep 140 points

5. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r 136 points

6. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 136 points

7. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx-QuickStep 133 points

8. John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin 132 points

9. Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing 114 points

10. Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 114 points

…

48. Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge 10 points

Team ranking
1. Sky 525 points

2. Etixx-QuickStep 484 points

3. Katusha 403 points

4. BMC Racing 310 points

5. Movistar 298 points

Nation ranking
1. Australia 578 points

2. Netherlands 365 points

3. Italy 359 points

…

8. Great Britain 194 points