


We introduce the Cyclingflash Ranking, a new alternative to the traditional UCI World Ranking. The new system no longer evaluates cyclists based on accumulated points but looks at the actual quality of performances by analyzing which opponents riders compete against. "A tenth place in a sprint full of world-class riders can be worth more than a win in a weakly attended race," explains Maxim Horssels, editor-in-chief of Wielerflits.
The Cyclingflash Ranking is updated daily and takes into account the current form of riders, unlike the UCI system that looks back a full year. This means that riders who come into form quickly move up, while performances against weak competition count less. "The system offers rankings for all disciplines – from sprint to general classification – and finally gives recognition to specialists who are often undervalued in the current points system," says Klaas Maes, CTO of Wielerflits and the initiator of the new ranking.
At the heart of the system are the underlying 'ratings' that reflect each rider’s current strength. After each race, these ratings are adjusted: performing well against strong opponents raises your rating, while disappointing against weaker competition lowers it. These individual ratings then determine the rankings.
"It is a source for a new form of cycling journalism. The new ranking enables our editorial team to support trends with data," says Maxim Horssels. “In this story, for example, we compare the strength of the Visma | Lease a Bike selection this year with that of next year. Which specializations improve thanks to new additions, and in what areas do they weaken due to departing riders? By presenting these insights visually, we make complex data accessible to a broad audience. On the Wielerflits platforms, we do this for our Dutch-speaking audience; on Cyclingflash, we focus on the international cycling fan."
On Cyclingflash.com, the profile pages have been expanded with the ratings, and on the team pages you can see what that means for a squad’s strength. The rankings can be viewed on the Ranking page.
In this Q&A, we answer questions about how the Cyclingflash Ranking works.
The Cyclingflash Rankings are not a simple sum of races won or accumulated UCI points. We look at how strong the competition is. A fifth place in a sprint against top riders like Jonathan Milan, Jasper Philipsen, and Tim Merlier can therefore be worth more than a victory in a less competitive field.
Every professional race counts – from WorldTour to UCI .2 events. This way, smaller races also get the attention they deserve.
Daily updates – after every race, the standings change, so you always have the most current picture.
Focus on the present – whereas the UCI ranking looks back a full year, Cyclingflash shows who the strongest riders are today.
This creates a fairer, more up-to-date picture of the balance of power in the peloton.
The bunch sprint is one of the most spectacular aspects of cycling. In a few hundred meters, pure power, courage, and timing decide victory or defeat. The Sprint Ranking measures who week after week is the strongest in those chaotic final sprints. Not only the winner counts: every time a rider fights for the top positions, this is taken into account. This way, you can see who really competes with the very best sprinters, even if they don’t always cross the line first.
The mountains are often where races truly are decided. Masks fall away, and only the pure climber remains. The Mountain Ranking collects performances in the toughest mountain stages: rides with mythical passes, steep final climbs, and gruelling battles that only the best survive. It's not about intermediate sprints or mountain points on the way, but about performances at the finish of the big mountain passes, where GC contenders hurt each other and where races are really on the line.
Not all races are decided in high mountains. Often, it comes down to shorter, steeper climbs where explosiveness and timing are crucial. Think of the hill classics, but also stages with punchy finishes. The Hill Ranking is for specialists who can decide a race with one fierce effort. This is the realm of riders like Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, or Tadej Pogačar, cyclists who can give everything in a few minutes and make the difference.
Time trialing is the most honest discipline in cycling: you against the clock, without team tactics or race situation. It’s purely about power, aerodynamics, and focus. In this Time Trial Ranking, all individual time trials count, from short prologues to long flat rounds. Every second and every gap is measured against the quality of opponents, making it clear who the true specialists are.
Winning a Grand Tour requires versatility. You have to keep up in the mountains, hold your own in the hilly stages, and lose as little time as possible in the time trials. That’s why the GC Ranking is a weighting of performances in mountains, hills, and time trials. This creates a classification that places the true stage race riders at the top: those who have to perform all-round in a stage race to contend for the overall victory.
The ultimate question: who is the best cyclist in the world? The Overall Ranking weighs all disciplines (sprint, hill, mountain, and time trial) and shows who the most complete rider is. A sprinter who can also hold their own on climbs, or a GC rider who occasionally wins a sprint or time trial, emerges here. The result is a leaderboard showing who the most versatile and dominant riders are at this moment.
The Cyclingflash Rankings apply to both men and women. Each classification therefore has two lists: one for men and one for women. This allows performances in the women’s peloton to get the attention they deserve, and you can just as clearly see who the strongest sprinters, climbers, and all-rounders are there.
Whether you are a fan of bunch sprints, steep mountain stages, or the battle for the GC in a Grand Tour... the Cyclingflash Rankings show how the true balance of power stands. Day in, day out, for both men and women.
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 999 | |
| 2 | 987 | |
| 3 | 985 | |
| 4 | 970 | |
| 5 | 922 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1091 | |
| 2 | 937 | |
| 3 | 891 | |
| 4 | 860 | |
| 5 | 832 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1057 | |
| 2 | 972 | |
| 3 | 958 | |
| 4 | 941 | |
| 5 | 896 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 864 | |
| 2 | 863 | |
| 3 | 845 | |
| 4 | 827 | |
| 5 | 825 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 869 | |
| 2 | 828 | |
| 3 | 825 | |
| 4 | 814 | |
| 5 | 804 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 850 | |
| 2 | 839 | |
| 3 | 832 | |
| 4 | 813 | |
| 5 | 811 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 988 | |
| 2 | 947 | |
| 3 | 947 | |
| 4 | 882 | |
| 5 | 877 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 996 | |
| 2 | 970 | |
| 3 | 928 | |
| 4 | 918 | |
| 5 | 878 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1126 | |
| 2 | 1032 | |
| 3 | 1032 | |
| 4 | 1004 | |
| 5 | 963 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 949 | |
| 2 | 940 | |
| 3 | 912 | |
| 4 | 909 | |
| 5 | 904 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 975 | |
| 2 | 920 | |
| 3 | 904 | |
| 4 | 878 | |
| 5 | 876 |
| Rank | Rider | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 952 | |
| 2 | 922 | |
| 3 | 898 | |
| 4 | 897 | |
| 5 | 893 |