Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime) celebrated a total of 16 victories in 2024, including prestigious ones such as the world title on the road, Paris-Roubaix and Strade Bianche. The 28-year-old Belgian proved to be a true all-rounder, taking second place in the overall standings of the Giro d'Italia and the European crown in the time trial in addition to her victories in the classics. In total, this earned her 6,389 points in the UCI world rankings and thus first place in this ranking.
Kopecky thus displaced her (Still) team-mate Demi Vollering from the top. The Dutchwoman held the place in the sun last year, but now has to make do with second place, 5011.29 points and thus a huge gap to Kopecky. Vollering also collected 15 victories, winning the Vuelta, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour of Burgos, as well as plenty of podium places in the major classics and the Tour de France.
Koepcky only the third non-Dutch woman at the top of the rankings thanks to a big plus
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old scored around 1000 points less this year than last year. Kopecky, on the other hand, who came second last year, saddled up another 2000. She thus ended the seven-year lead of a Dutch rider in the world rankings at the end of the year and also became the first Belgian woman at the top of the rankings. Alongside Emma Johansson (Sweden) in 2013 and Megan Guarnier (USA) in 2017, she is only the third non-Dutch woman to top the rankings since they were introduced in 2009. Her points haul this season is also a new record.
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) is in third place on the list. The winner of the Giro and the Tour of Flanders scored 4798.81 points. In 2023, she was still missing from the top 10, but the Italian's rise prevented the complete SD-Worx triumph of the previous year. Although Lorena Wiebes finished fourth again with 3811 points, the 2023 third-place finisher Due to her long illness, Marlen Reusser was unable to hardly collect anything countable.
Lippert slips out of the top 10
Like Reusser, Liane Lippert (Movistar Team) is also no longer in the top 10. The German also started the season late after a long injury and was only able to build on last season's form with a stage win at the Giro in July, but was unable to collect enough points. Ninth last year, the Friedrichshafen native now had to settle for 29th place. With 1239.76 points, however, she remained the best German. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM Racing) followed in 48th place with 880.33 points.
For Tour de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing) only managed seventh place (2574 points) despite this victory, winning the Fleche Wallonne and finishing second in the Tour of Flanders. Last year she was sixth with 200 points less. Ahead of her this time were five-time world number one Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Elisa Balsamo from Italy. With Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), two Frenchwomen also made it into the top 10, which was completed by time trial world champion and Olympic champion Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez).
UCI Women's World Ranking 2024: The Top 10
- Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime/Belgium) 6389 points
- Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime/Netherlands) 5011.29
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek/Italy) 4798.81
- Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime/Netherlands) 3811
- Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike/Netherlands) 2808.71
- Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek/Italy) 2741
- Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing/Poland) 2574
- Juliette Labous (Teams dsm-firmenich PostNL/France) 2360.14
- Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez/France) 2132.57
- Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez/Australia) 1948.57
While the UCI also maintains separate world rankings for one-day and multi-stage races for men, there is only a separate ranking for the women's World Tour races. However, only Niewiadoma, Vos and Balsamo swap places in this ranking. Instead of Brown, her Australian compatriot Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM Racing) is in 10th place.
The UCI points system
The women's ranking is similarly complex to that of the men. However, the Tour de France does not take centre stage in the women's ranking as it does for the men. The Tour, Giro, Vuelta and other tours of the UCI Women's World Tour are treated equally - 400 points are awarded to the overall winner in each case. Just like in the classics. A victory in Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders or the Amstel Gold Race, for example, also earns 400 points.
More points in one go in 2024 could only be scored in the road races at the Olympics and the World Championships. The victories in both competitions earned Kristen Faulkner and Kopecky a whopping 600 points. Second place was also worth more with 475 points, while third place was worth just as much as a classics or tour victory. In the time trials, 350, 250 and 200 points were awarded for the medal positions.
All previous world ranking leaders at the end of the year
- 2024 - Lotte Kopecky 6389 points
- 2023 - Demi Vollering 6038.86
- 2022 - Annemiek van Vleuten 4683
- 2021 - Annemiek van Vleuten 5053.33
- 2020 - Anna van der Breggen 2560.67
- 2019 - Lorena Wiebes 2259.33
- 2018 - Annemiek van Vleuten 1923.86
- 2017 - Annemiek van Vleuten 1475
- 2016 - Megan Guarnier 1186
- 2015 - Anna van der Breggen 1257.75
- 2014 - Marianne Vos 1363
- 2013 - Emma Johansson 1388
- 2012 - Marianne Vos 1666
- 2011 - Marianne Vos 1735
- 2010 - Marianne Vos 1089.5
- 2009 - Marianne Vos 1360.55
