Contador topped the individual ranking with a total of 527 points after riding consistently well during the 2009 season.  Spanish rival Alejandro Valverde of the Caisse d’Epargne team was second with 483 points and Spain completed their domination of the individual ranking, with Samuel Sanchez of the Euskaltel team third with 357 points.

Sanchez was a close second at the Giro di Lombardia, the final race of the UCI World Calendar, and so moved from eighth place to third, ahead of the Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and new world champion Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto).

Contador scored his points in key stages races during the season and his Tour de France victory confirmed he is currently the best multi-day race rider in cycling. The 26 year-old from Pinto, near Madrid, scored 76 points by finishing fourth and winning two stages in the Paris-Nice race in March. He then scored a further 112 points thanks to winning and taking two stages at the Vuelta a Pais Vasco in April and also scored 75 points for finishing third overall in the Dauphine Libere stage race in June.

Contador took what turned out to be an unbeatable lead in the UCI World Ranking thanks to his dominant victory at the Tour de France in July. He won overall for a second time in his career and also won three stages. That success gave him 264 points and his final total of 527 points.

The UCI World Ranking yet again proved a true indication of the strength of the leading riders in professional cycling, with all the most well-known and admired riders in the top 20.

Astana wins UCI Team World Ranking

Contador’s individual success helped his Astana team secure victory in the UCI World Team Ranking.

The Kazakhstan team scored a total of 1100 points during the season; beating nearest rivals Caisse d’Epargne by 52 points. Team Columbia-HTC, which has highly successful sprinters Mark Cavendish and Andrei Greipel in their line-up, was third with 957 points.

Spain dominates Nations World Ranking

Contador, Valverde and Sanchez lead Spain to an overwhelming victory in the UCI Nations Ranking.

Spain scored a total of 1756 points, close to double that of second placed Italy, who scored 984 points. Australia was third with 960 points, while Germany was fourth with 753 and Belgium was fifth with 675 points.

Gilbert wins the Giro di Lombardia

The final 2009 UCI World Rankings were decided after the Giro di Lombardia one-day classic in Italy.

Philippe Gilbert was unbeatable after some strong work by his Silence-Lotto team mates and especially world champion Cadel Evans. Gilbert attacked on the final climb of the race near Como and then comfortably beat Samuel Sanchez in the two-rider sprint.

Gilbert is emerging as one of the best one-day riders of his generation and at only 27, he could, like Contador, will be a name to watch for in the 2010 World Ranking.

The 2010 World Calendar begins in January 2010 when the UCI ProTour season begins with the Tour Down Under stage race in Australia on January 19.