Tour de France champion Alberto Contador finished the official cycling season as the top ranked rider in the International Cycling Union (UCI) world calendar released on Monday.

In an all-Spanish podium Contador, who rides for Astana, finished top on 527 points, ahead of second placed Alejandro Valverde (483) and Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez (357).

In the teams world ranking Astana ended the season on 1,100 points, with Valverde's Caisse d'Epargne second on 1048 and American outfit Team Columbia third on 957.

Spain also topped the nations world ranking on 1,756 points with Italy (984) in second and Australia (960) third.

The Tour of Lombardy, won by Belgium's Philippe Gilbert of Silence, brought the curtain down on the official 2009 cycling season on Saturday.

AFP

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