What a season! The UCI Europe Tour waited until the last minute, the Nationale Sluitingprijs - Putte - Kapellen, to finally decide a winner. In claiming his eleventh victory of the 2015 season in Belgium, France’s Nacer Bouhanni takes the overall European ranking for the first time.
“I won the French Cup and now the UCI Europe Tour. I am really satisfied with this season even though it was complicated with numerous crashes,” said the sprinter who shone in the UCI WorldTour with two wins in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He finishes the season with 721 points, ahead of Belgium’s Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), future Trek World Racing member who sits on 649 points. Another Belgian, Dimitri Claeys (524.5 points) from the team Wanty Groupe Gobert is third with 524.5 points.
Winners of ten events this season, Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise wins the teams ranking of the UCI Europe Tour with 1693 points in front of two French teams Cofidis, Solutions Crédits (1600.2 points) and Bretagne Seché Environnement (1476 points). The best European nation is Belgium (3364 points) in front of Italy (2914.3 points) and France (2649.4 points).
Winner of the Tour de Côte d'Ivoire-Tour de la Réconciliation, thanks in particular to his victory in the individual time trial, and also of the Grand Prix Chantal Biya (Cameroon), the Moroccan Lahsaini Mouhssine moves up from 48th to 5th place in the UCI Africa Tour with 154 points. However the three top riders remain unchanged with Morocco’s Salaheddine Mraouni (241 points), Tunisia’s Rafaa Chtioui (Skydive Dubaï Pro Cycling Team – Al Ahli Club) on 221 points and the Moroccan Essaïd Abelouache (212 points).
No change either in the teams ranking which is led by Skydive Dubaï Pro Cyclnig Team – Al Ahli Club (571 points), Groupement Sportif des Pétroliers Algérie (495 points) and MTN Qhubeka (471.02 points). The leading nations are Algeria (1141 points), Morocco (1002 points) and South Africa (868.88 points).
There was only one event on the UCI America Tour calendar last month, and the Dominion Republic’s Adellyn Cruz made the most of it. The rider from the Inteja-MMR Dominican Cycling Team won the Tobago Cycling Classic on October 4th. As far as the overall ranking is concerned, the future Cannondale-Garmin rider from Latvia Toms Skujins (Hincapie Racing Team) remains in the lead with 208.4 points. Ecuador’s Bayron Guama de la Cruz (198 points) is second, followed by Canadian Michael Woods (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) who will also be joining Cannondale-Garmin.
Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies heads the teams ranking (498 points) in front of Funvic-Sao Jose Dos Campos (401 points) and Hincapie Racing Team (400 points). Colombia (885.35 points) is the strongest nation, Canada (845 points) 2nd and Argentina (758 points), 3rd.
It was a particularly intense month in the UCI Asia Tour with the Tour de Chine 1 and 2, the Tour de Singkarak, the Tour d’Almaty, the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Japan Cup. The Italian Mattia Gavazzi (Amore & Vita- Selle SMP), winner of three of the six stages in the Tour de Chine 2, moves up from 11th to 3rd place with 313 points. He ousts New Zealander Patrick Bevin from the podium spot. In front, the two Iranians continue to dominate: Mirsamad Pourseyedigolakhour (Tabriz Petrochemial Team) with 372 points and Hossen Askari from the Pishgaman Giant Team (325 points)
Pishgaman Giant Team still leads the teams ranking with 833 points in front of Tabriz Petrochemical Team (665 points). Nippo-Vini Fantini leaps from 9th to 3rd place thanks to Danielle Colli’s victory in the Tour de Chine 1. The top three nations remain unchanged: Iran (1516 points), Kazakhstan (602 points) and Japan (521 points).
UCI Continental Tour rankings