The latest UCI rankings are based on the addition of points from the Vuelta a España, Grand Prix de Quebec & Montréal, and GP de Fourmise. The Tour of Britain has not yet been counted. The biggest winner this week was the Movistar team, which moved up from 18th to 14th in the 2020-2022 UCI team standings, well away from the relegation zone. [EF Education-EasyPost boss Jonathan Vaughters and Israel-Premier Tech owner Sylvan Adams have called the system "promotion or death." Others have questioned why the UCI would want to limit the number of WorldTour teams when there are now 20 teams with the budget to field top-level teams.

A compromise proposal has been suggested to return the maximum size of the peloton to 200, increase the number of wildcard teams available to Grand Tour organizers, and leave the WorldTour at 20, but the UCI claims that no decision has been made. However, the UCI insists that no decision has yet been made.

Presumably, any changes will be announced after the World Championships Management Committee's annual meeting next week.

If the plan is implemented, Israel Premier Tech would be only 138 points shy of Vuelta a España winner Quick Step Alphavinir's massive record of 1,898 points in the latest rankings.

Of the top 22 teams in the world, only Total Energy and Uno X had fewer points earned. The French team lost two places and 125 points for not participating in the Vuelta, while the Norwegian team failed to achieve any results.

The Israeli-Canadian team had little hope of avoiding relegation, leaving the possibility of a Sylvain Adams fight or team dissolution.

Lotto Soudal has once again moved up in the standings, climbing from 19th place, but remains stuck in the relegation zone. However, rather than chasing Movistar, their closest rival Cofidis, in 18th place, has dropped three places, widening the gap to the Belgian team to 702 points. Lotto Soudal is determined to eliminate this gap by sending a stacked team to the one-day race at the end of the season.

Cofidis' strategy of sending Guillaume Martin to Canada failed to produce the intended result as he only gained 40 points there. The French team lost sprinter Bryan Coquard from the Vuelta, but Jesus Herrada saved their race with a stage win, a third place on the stage, and eight points for 56th on GC.

Movistar made the biggest gains despite the fact that Gonzalo Serrano, whose Tour of Britain win was cancelled due to the death of Queen Elizabeth, has yet to score any points. Enric Mas, who finished second to Remco Evenpoel in the Vuelta, and Ivan Garcia Cortina, who finished fifth in Quebec, added to the team's point total.

Aside from the Spanish teams, the biggest budget teams continued to score the most points: Jumbo Visma maintained its top spot with almost 1,000 points in the three-year and 2022 rankings; Ineos Grenadiers, Carlos Rodriguez's Vuelta results, Tom Pidcock and Omar Freire's podium in Great Britain (which counted, unlike Serrano), and Adam Yates' fourth place in Montreal, among others, for $1,253.

The relegation watch may be moot if the UCI decides to suspend the relegation system for 2023, but teams are still hedging their bets and keeping riders from heading to Australia for the Worlds to chase points in Europe.

Organizers of the 1.1 and Pro Series races between now and the end of October will be pleased to have such a competitive race.

Watch this space.