UCI Rankings Rider Update | Pogacar defends his throne, Seixas moves into the chasing pack's lead and new star is born at Alpecin

The Ardennes Classics are the key talking point of this week's update on riders' individual UCI standings. The week was shaped by WorldTour one-day races La Flèche Wallonne and the fourth Monument of the season; Liège-Bastogne-Liège. And, on the side of these events, races such as Vuelta a Asturias have generated great interest too.

The headline act is Paul Seixas, who delivers the week’s biggest move by jumping from eighth all the way to a second position. His victory at La Flèche Wallonne and runner-up spot in Liège propel him straight into the upper tier of the ranking, establishing him as the main alternative to Tadej Pogacar.

The Slovenian, for his part, strengthens his lead after winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège, extending his advantage, despite having competed only five (seven at this point) race days this season.

Remco Evenepoel also gains ground, rising from fourth to third after his Liège podium and Amstel victory. The Belgian benefits from his consistency in the Ardennes to entrench himself on the ranking’s podium. By contrast, Isaac del Toro slips two spots after his injury, dropping from fifth to seventh due to his absence.

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel are also nudged down after skipping the Ardennes. The Belgian falls from second to fourth, while the Dutchman dips from third to fifth, in a fiercely competitive post-Classics context. Meanwhile, Mauro Schmid holds sixth but with a notable points haul, consolidating his place among the elite.

Another significant mover is Romain Gregoire, who breaks into the top 10 by climbing from 11th to eighth, while Tobias Lund Andresen edges up to ninth. Rounding out the UCI WorldTour top 10 is Tom Pidcock, who hangs on despite racing at half-throttle due to his recent knee injury.

Notable performer of the Ardennes campaign has been Alpecin-Premier Tech's youngster Emiel Verstrynge whose 4th place at Amstel and 5th at Liege allowed the 24-year-old to jump all the way up to 32nd place, despite having finished previous seasons outside the world's top-500.

The UCI ranking over the last 365 days offers a far steadier snapshot of the peloton’s overall performance, rewarding consistency across the entire season. In this context, Tadej Pogacar is a clear dominator thanks to his relentless haul of results in Grand Tours and Classics, opening up a very large gap to his pursuers.

Behind him, Jonas Vingegaard and Isaac del Toro round out the podium, underlining the weight of the Grand Tours in this annual table. The Mexican confirms his rise with an established presence among the world’s top three. Remco Evenepoel sits fourth, while Tom Pidcock and Mads Pedersen occupy the middle of the top 10 thanks to their versatility.

One standout name is Paul Seixas, whose breakthrough also registers in this long-range ranking. The Frenchman climbs to seventh, confirming his progression and the impact of his recent results, especially in the Ardennes.

Joao Almeida, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel complete the top ten, a top 10 well balanced between GC riders and Classics specialists.