For the first time since its introduction, UCI has revealed the points system that is used to determine the sporting value of the teams for the coming season. The Zona Matxin blog has done the calculations based on the current informationm and Omega Pharma-Quick Step emerges as the strongest team while Peter Sagan is the most valuable rider.

Since its introduction, the system of value points that the UCI has used to calculate the sporting value of the teams applying for a ProTeam license for the coming season, has been shrouded in mystery. Fragments of the system have been revealed but until earlier this year, the entire system was kept as a secret by the international union.

This was changed earlier this year when the UCI revealed the principles behind their system of value points, clarifying the situation for the teams that are trying to get into the top echelon of the sport. The system may be complicated but is now completely transparent.

The system is used to rank the teams according to their points, with the first 15 teams fulfilling the sporting criteria that is needed to get a ProTeam license. The teams ranked from 16th to 20th position enter into a pool from which the final ProTeams are chosen.

The tally of each team is made up of an individual and collective value. The individual value is found by adding the points of the 10 most valuable riders on the team's roster for the 2014 season, with points for the two most recent seasons being taken into consideration. Bonuses are added for riders that excel in other disciplines while there's also a bonus system for U23 riders. The collective value is based on team classifications, victories, podiums and jerseys obtained by the team and their result at the world TTT championships, with only the previous season counting towards this part of the score.

For this year's ranking, a new rule has been introduced that sees a team keep 20% of the individual points scored by a rider that has signed a contract with another team if he was part of his original team’s top 10 riders in the context of the calculation of the team’s individual sporting value “prior transfers", was under contract with the team during at least the two previous seasons and the team is a candidate to the status of UCI Professional Continental Team or UCI ProTeam for the upcoming season.

The deadline for signing contracts with riders that are taken into consideration for the individual value, is October 20 and so rapidly approaching. Based on our current information, the blog Zona Matxin has calculated the individual value of each rider and the value for each team for the coming season.

This year there is less interest in the ranking as only 18 teams have applied for the 18 ProTeam licenses that are on offer. Nonetheless, it gives an interesting insight into the system that is currently in place.

According to Zona Matxin, Omega Pharma-Quick Step is the most valuable team, with the Belgian team taking a narrow lead ahead of Sky. Katusha is 3rd while Astana is 4th. Lampre-Merida is reaping the benefits of their signing of Rui Costa as the Italian team is a surprise 5th.

WorldTour winners Movistar are only 8th, mostly because the points of Alejandro Valverde won't be taken into consideration until two years after the completion of his suspension. The same rule applies to Alberto Contador whose Saxo Bank team is only 16th.

The 18 teams that have applied for ProTeam licenses occupy the first 18 positions, with IAM being 19th. The Swiss team has increased its tally significantly due to the signings of Sylvain Chavanel and Mathias Frank but will stay pro continental in 2014. Cofidis is the next team on the list.

If the points of riders who have served a suspension were taken into account, Movistar would be 3rd behind Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Sky while Saxo-Tinkoff would be 10th.

Looking at the riders' individual scores to find the most valuable riders for the coming season, Peter Sagan tops the list with a big lead over Chris Froome. Giro champion Vincenzo Nibali is 3rd, Joaquim Rodriguez 4th, Alejandro Valverde 5th and world champion Rui Costa 6th while Andre Greipel is the first pure sprinter in 7th.

Looking at the riders that haven't signed a contract for the coming season, Samuel Sanchez is by far the most valuable followed by Chris Horner, Kenny Van Hummel and Luis-Leon Sanchez. However, their points won't count towards the sporting value of their new team if their contracts are not signed before the October 20 deadline.

The future of the current points system is uncertain as the UCI plans to make a major reform from 2015 to 2020 and is considering the idea of a system of automatic relegation and promotion.

The entire Zona Matxin blog entry can be found here.

Sporting value of 2014 teams:

1. Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1531

2. Sky 1527

3. Katusha 1019

4. Astana 918

5. Lampre-Merida 903

6. Cannondale 849

7. Belkin 788

8. Movistar 788

9. Argos-Shimano 755

10. BMC 746

11. Garmin-Sharp 698

12. Trek 695

13. Lotto Belisol 673

14. Orica-GreenEDGE 661

15. FDJ.fr 643

16. Team Saxo Bank 574

17. Ag2r-La Mondial 533

18. Team Europcar 404

19. IAM 262

20. Cofidis 216

21. MTN-Qhubeka 142

22. YellowFluo 127

23. Team NetApp-Endura 120

24. CCC 119

25. Rusvelo 111

Rider value for the 2014 season:

1. Peter Sagan 461

2. Chris Froome 387

3. Vincenzo Nibali 382

4. Joaquin Rodriguez 379

5. Alejandro Valverde 352

6. Rui Costa 351

7. Andre Greipel 300

8. Bradley Wiggins 299

9. Mark Cavendish 295

10. Tom Boonen 280

11. John Degenkolb 274

12. Tony Martin 268

13. Nairo Quintana 254

14. Marcel Kittel 248

15. Arnaud Demare 226

16. Daniel Martin 224

17. Fabian Cancellara 223

18. Simon Gerrans 186

18. Alberto Contador 186

20. Nacer bOuhanni 185

21. Daniel Moreno 176

22. Rigoberto Uran 175

23. Edvald Boasson Hagen 171

24. Samuel Sanchez 170

25. Roman Kreuziger 167

Best riders without a contract for 2014:

1. Samuel Sanchez 170

2. Chris Horner 115,2

3. Kenny Van Hummel 83

4. Luis Leon Sanchez 72,8

5. Oscar Freire 62

6. Mauro Santambrogio 62

7. Levi Leipheimer 41

8. Alexandre Vinokourov 35

9. Andre Schulze 34

10. Robert Vrecer 30

11. Adil Jelloul 26

12. Oscar Sanchez Guarin 25

13. Christian Vande Velde 24

14. David Veilleux 23

15. Tarik Chaoufi 22

16. Simone Ponzi 20

17. Ki Ho Choi 20

18. Juan Jose Lobato 20

19. Juan Antonio Flecha 20

20. Kam Po Wong 19

21. Sven Nys 19

22. Felix Cardenas 18

23. Banoit Daeninck 17

24. Caleb Ewan 17

25. David Zabriskie 16