View source for 2005 UCI ProTour

{{ Infobox cycling season
<!-- Details -->
| name          = 2005 UCI ProTour
| edition       = 1
| competition   = [[UCI ProTour]]
| image         = 
| image_caption = 
| image_alt     = 
| image_size    = 
| dates         = March 6 – October 15
| location      = [[Europe]]
| rounds        = 28
<!-- Winners -->
| individual_champion      = {{flagathlete|Danilo Di Luca|ITA}}
| individual_champion_team = {{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
| teams_champion           = {{UCI team code|CSC|2005}}
| nations_champion         = {{flagcountry|ITA}}

| previous = [[2004 UCI Road World Cup|2004]] ([[UCI Road World Cup]])
| next     = [[2006 UCI ProTour|2006]]
}}
The '''2005 ProTour''' was the first year of the newly introduced [[UCI ProTour]] system, in which the ProTour teams are guaranteed, and obliged to, participate in the series of ProTour races.  In certain ways the ProTour replaced the [[UCI Road World Cup]] series of one-day races, which in 2004 was won by one-day specialist [[Paolo Bettini]] for the third time in a row.  The beginning of the ProTour saw difficult negotiations with the organizers of the [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]], the [[Tour de France]], the [[Giro d'Italia]] and the [[Vuelta a España]].

==Spring classics==
Following tradition, {{UCI team code|SAX|2005}} had a strong showing in the early season, with a commanding control of the season opener [[Paris–Nice]], placing [[United States|American]] Bobby Julich on the top step of the [[General classification]], combining his strong prologue [[individual time trial]] performance and good placing in the [[Mont Faron]] queen stage. [[Sprinting specialist (cycling)|Sprinter]] [[Alessandro Petacchi]] shed some weight over the winter and built up a strong base to win the classic [[Milan–San Remo]] convincingly, leading to speculation that he will be the undisputed Italian team leader for the [[World Cycling Championship]] in Madrid later in the season.

[[Belgium|Belgian]] sprinter [[Tom Boonen]] of {{UCI team code|QST|2005}} showed that he was the strongest ''kasseinfretter'', or ''cobble-eater'', by winning both the [[Tour of Flanders (men's race)|Tour of Flanders]] and [[Paris–Roubaix]] cobbled classics, propelling him to the top of the UCI ProTour rankings and thus earning him the white leaders jersey.

As the spring classics campaign continues, Bettini was plagued with injuries, but fellow one-day specialist [[Danilo Di Luca]] of {{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}} found his best form in years and won the [[Tour of the Basque Country]] race.  With his confidence boosted, he topped his form with wins in both [[La Flèche Wallonne]] and the [[Amstel Gold Race (men's race)|Amstel Gold Race]], leading many to speculate that he would also win the [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]].  However, [[Jens Voigt]] committed himself to long breakaways in both la Flèche and Liège, and in the later race was joined by Kazakh [[Alexander Vinokourov]]. Together they managed to keep the [[peloton]] behind, and Voigt was beaten in the final sprint by Vinokourov.

==Grand tours==
Having earned the ProTour white leader's jersey, Di Luca further increased his lead with a stage win and fourth place in the general classification of the [[2005 Giro d'Italia]], joining [[Gilberto Simoni]] of {{UCI team code|LAM|2005}} in igniting the queen mountain stage of [[Sestriere]].  The same race also saw [[Damiano Cunego]], who finished at the top UCI ranking last year, fall ill. In the end, the descending skills and strong form of [[Paolo Savoldelli]] earned him the [[maglia rosa]] in [[Milan]].

The [[2005 Tour de France]] again brought [[Lance Armstrong]] to the win, extending his record for consecutive Tour wins to 7.  Despite promises of igniting the race with the trio of [[Jan Ullrich]], [[Andreas Klöden]] and Vinokourov, the {{UCI team code|THR|2005}} failed to wrestle the race control from Armstrong's Discovery team, and allegations flew abound of internal dispute within the team. Instead [[Ivan Basso]] showed himself as a main contender, though he never seemed to pressure Armstrong. As in the previous editions, Armstrong's team launched a vicious attack on an early mountain stage to discourage other contenders from pursuing the top podium. [[Spain|Spanish]] racer [[Alejandro Valverde]] of {{UCI team code|GCE|2005b}} showed that he is a serious contender for the future by not only staying with Armstrong, but by sprinting away to win the stage at the finale. However, both Valverde and [[green jersey]] contender Tom Boonen were forced to quit due to injuries.

The [[2005 Vuelta a España|Vuelta]] brought an exciting race in which [[Denis Menchov]] was able to stave off attacks by [[Roberto Heras]] and his strong {{UCI team code|ONC|2005}} team until the closing days of the race.  A choreographed attack by Liberty Seguros climbers, and Heras' thrilling ride down a treacherous descent, finally won him the leader's jersey. However, a [[doping (sport)|doping]] scandal erupted two months after the Vuelta. Urine samples taken from Heras after the final time trial proved to be positive for [[erythropoietin|EPO]]. Heras was stripped of what had been his record-setting fourth win, and Menchov was elevated to first place.

==World championships==
Belgian [[Tom Boonen]] had the confidence of the entire Belgian team, and won in style in Madrid.  Petacchi, despite being the favorite, claimed to have suffered from a cold, and could not keep in contention as the peloton ascended the last climb before the finale.  Valverde, having taken the Spanish team leadership after the injury of [[Óscar Freire]], overcame his own injury to finish second, his second podium placing in race that tactically was not well-suited to his style.

The finale brought an exciting race as Paolo Bettini, having regained his form, was unleashed a little too late by Italian selector [[Franco Ballerini]] and nearly stayed away with Vinokourov in the closing meters of the race.

==Summer and Autumn Classics==
Having been left off the Tour de France lineup, [[Erik Zabel]] decided to join fellow sprinter Petacchi in the newly formed {{UCI team code|MRM|2006}}.  As his last race with the T-Mobile team, Zabel took the sprinters classic [[Paris–Tours]] to end his career in style.

Smarting from his disappointment at the World Championships, Bettini won [[Züri-Metzgete]] convincingly, with a 40-km solo attack in the rain that was almost derailed by his chain dropping off his chainring after his first acceleration.  Proving that he is a better [[climbing specialist|climber]] than ever before, he won the climbers classic [[Giro di Lombardia]] in a three-way sprint with Gilberto Simoni and [[Fränk Schleck]].

==2005 ProTour results==

{| class="wikitable"
!Date
!Race
!Country
!Winner
!Team
|-
|March 6–13
|[[2005 Paris–Nice|Paris–Nice]]
|{{FRA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Bobby Julich]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|SAX|2005}}
|-
|March 9–15
|[[2005 Tirreno–Adriatico|Tirreno–Adriatico]]
|{{ITA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Óscar Freire]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|RAB|2005}}
|-
|March 19
|[[2005 Milan–San Remo|Milan–San Remo]]
|{{ITA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Alessandro Petacchi]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|FAS|2005}}
|-
|April 3
|[[2005 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
|{{BEL}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Tom Boonen]]|BEL}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|-
|April 5–9
|[[2005 Tour of the Basque Country|Tour of the Basque Country]]
|{{ESP}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Danilo Di Luca]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
|-
|April 6
|[[2005 Gent–Wevelgem|Gent–Wevelgem]]
|{{BEL}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Nico Mattan]]|BEL}}
|{{UCI team code|SIL|2005}}
|-
|April 10 
|[[2005 Paris–Roubaix|Paris–Roubaix]]
|{{FRA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Tom Boonen]]|BEL}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|-
|April 17 
|[[2005 Amstel Gold Race|Amstel Gold Race]]
|{{NED}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Danilo Di Luca]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
|-
|April 20
|[[2005 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
|{{BEL}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Danilo Di Luca]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
|-
|April 24 
|[[2005 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
|{{BEL}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Alexander Vinokourov]]|KAZ}}
|{{UCI team code|THR|2005}}
|-
|April 26 – May 1
|[[2005 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]]
|{{SUI}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Santiago Botero]]|COL}}
|{{UCI team code|PHO|2005}}
|-
|May 7–29
|[[2005 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
|{{ITA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Paolo Savoldelli]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|-
|May 16–22
|[[2005 Volta a Catalunya|Volta a Catalunya]]
|{{ESP}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Yaroslav Popovych]]|UKR}}
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|-
|June 5–12
|[[2005 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
|{{FRA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Íñigo Landaluze]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|EUS|2005}}
|-
|June 11–19
|[[2005 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
|{{SUI}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Aitor González]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|EUS|2005}}
|-
|June 19
|[[2005 Eindhoven Team Time Trial|Eindhoven Team Time Trial]]
|{{NED}}
|''team event''
|{{UCI team code|GST|2005}}
|-
|July 2–24
|[[2005 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
|{{FRA}}
|<del>{{flagathlete|[[Lance Armstrong]]|USA}}</del>
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|-
|July 31
|[[2005 HEW Cyclassics|HEW Cyclassics]]
|{{GER}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Filippo Pozzato]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|-
|August 3–10
|[[2005 Eneco Tour of Benelux|Eneco Tour of Benelux]]
|{{BEL}}<br>{{NED}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Bobby Julich]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|SAX|2005}}
|-
|August 13
|[[2005 Clásica de San Sebastián|Clásica de San Sebastián]]
|{{ESP}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Constantino Zaballa]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|FUJ|2005}}
|-
|August 15–23
|[[2005 Deutschland Tour|Deutschland Tour]]
|{{GER}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Levi Leipheimer]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|GST|2005}}
|-
|August 27–18
|[[2005 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
|{{ESP}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Roberto Heras]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|ONC|2005}}
|-
|August 28
|[[2005 GP Ouest-France|GP Ouest-France]]
|{{FRA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[George Hincapie]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|-
|September 12–18
|[[2005 Tour de Pologne|Tour de Pologne]]
|{{POL}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Kim Kirchen]]|LUX}}
|{{UCI team code|FAS|2005}}
|-
|September 25
|[[2005 UCI Road World Championships - Men's Road Race|Road World Championships]]
|{{ESP}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Tom Boonen]]|BEL}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|-
|October 2
|[[2005 Züri-Metzgete|Züri-Metzgete]]
|{{SUI}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Paolo Bettini]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|-
|October 9
|[[2005 Paris–Tours|Paris–Tours]]
|{{FRA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Erik Zabel]]|GER}}
|{{UCI team code|THR|2005}}
|-
|October 15
|[[2005 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]] 
|{{ITA}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Paolo Bettini]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|}

==2005 ProTour Points System==

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccccff;"
!
!Tour de France
!Giro d'Italia<br>Vuelta a España
!Milan–San Remo<br>Tour of Flanders<br>Paris–Roubaix<br>Liège–Bastogne–Liège<br>Giro di Lombardia<br>Lesser stageraces
!Lesser one-day races
!World Cycling Championship
|-
|colspan=6 bgcolor=#f7f7f7 align=center|''Overall Classement''
|-
|1
|align=center|100
|align=center|85
|align=center|50
|align=center|40
|align=center|50
|-
|2
|align=center|75
|align=center|65
|align=center|40
|align=center|30
|align=center|40
|-
|3
|align=center|60
|align=center|50
|align=center|35
|align=center|25
|align=center|35
|-
|4
|align=center|55
|align=center|45
|align=center|30
|align=center|20
|
|-
|5
|align=center|50
|align=center|40
|align=center|25
|align=center|15
|
|-
|6
|align=center|45
|align=center|35
|align=center|20
|align=center|11
|
|-
|7
|align=center|40
|align=center|30
|align=center|15
|align=center|7
|
|-
|8
|align=center|35
|align=center|26
|align=center|10
|align=center|5
|
|-
|9
|align=center|30
|align=center|22
|align=center|5
|align=center|3
|
|-
|10
|align=center|25
|align=center|19
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|-
|11
|align=center|20
|align=center|16
|
|
|
|-
|12
|align=center|15
|align=center|13
|
|
|
|-
|13
|align=center|12
|align=center|11
|
|
|
|-
|14
|align=center|9
|align=center|9
|
|
|
|-
|15
|align=center|7
|align=center|7
|
|
|
|-
|16
|align=center|5
|align=center|5
|
|
|
|-
|17
|align=center|4
|align=center|4
|
|
|
|-
|18
|align=center|3
|align=center|3
|
|
|
|-
|19
|align=center|2
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|-
|20
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
|colspan=6 bgcolor=#f7f7f7 align=center|''Stage wins (if applicable)''
|-
|1
|align=center|3 
|align=center|3 
|align=center|1 
| 
|
|-
|2
|align=center|2 
|align=center|2 
| 
| 
|
|-
|3
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|}

===2005 ProTour Individual Rankings===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccccff;"
!
!Rider
!Team
!Points
|-
|1
|[[File:Jersey white.svg|20px]] {{flagathlete|[[Danilo Di Luca]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
|229
|-
|2
|{{flagathlete|[[Tom Boonen]]|BEL}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|171
|-
|3
|{{flagathlete|[[Davide Rebellin]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|GST|2005}}
|151
|-
|4
|{{flagathlete|[[Jan Ullrich]]|GER}}
|{{UCI team code|THR|2005}}
|140
|-
|5
|{{flagathlete|[[Lance Armstrong]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|139
|-
|6
|{{flagathlete|[[Alexander Vinokourov]]|KAZ}}
|{{UCI team code|THR|2005}}
|136
|-
|7
|{{flagathlete|[[Levi Leipheimer]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|GST|2005}}
|131
|-
|8
|{{flagathlete|[[Paolo Bettini]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
|130
|-
|9
|{{flagathlete|[[Bobby Julich]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|SAX|2005}}
|130
|-
|10
|{{flagathlete|[[George Hincapie]]|USA}}
|{{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
|129
|-
|11
|{{flagathlete|[[Alessandro Petacchi]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|FAS|2005}}
|128
|-
|12
|{{flagathlete|[[Gilberto Simoni]]|ITA}}
|{{UCI team code|LAM|2005}}
|111
|-
|13
|{{flagathlete|[[Fränk Schleck]]|LUX}}
|{{UCI team code|SAX|2005}}
|110
|-
|14
|{{flagathlete|[[Denis Menchov]]|RUS}}
|{{UCI team code|RAB|2005}}
|109
|-
|15
|{{flagathlete|[[Francisco Mancebo]]|ESP}}
|{{UCI team code|GCE|2005b}}
|107
|-
|}

===Team Rankings===

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccccff;"
!
!Team
!Points
|-
|1
| {{flagicon|DEN}} {{UCI team code|SAX|2005}}
| 390
|-
|2
| {{flagicon|SUI}} {{UCI team code|PHO|2005}}
| 353
|-
|3
| {{flagicon|NED}} {{UCI team code|RAB|2005}}
| 349
|-
|4
| {{flagicon|BEL}} {{UCI team code|SIL|2005}}
| 322
|-
|5
| {{flagicon|ESP}} {{UCI team code|ONC|2005}}
| 320
|-
|6
| {{flagicon|GER}} {{UCI team code|GST|2005}}
| 303
|-
|7
| {{flagicon|ESP}} {{UCI team code|FUJ|2005}}
| 293
|-
|8
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{UCI team code|DSC|2005}}
| 274
|-
|9
| {{flagicon|FRA}} {{UCI team code|C.A|2005}}
| 264
|-
|10
| {{flagicon|ESP}} {{UCI team code|GCE|2005b}}
| 262
|-
| 11
| {{flagicon|FRA}} {{UCI team code|COF|2005}}
| 258
|-
|12
|{{flagicon|BEL}} {{UCI team code|QST|2005}}
| 253
|-
|13
|{{flagicon|ITA}} {{UCI team code|FAS|2005}}
| 245
|-
|14
|{{flagicon|GER}} {{UCI team code|THR|2005}}
| 244
|-
|15
|{{flagicon|ITA}} {{UCI team code|LIQ|2005}}
| 228
|-
|16
|{{flagicon|ITA}} {{UCI team code|LAM|2005}}
| 211
|-
| 17
|{{flagicon|FRA}} {{UCI team code|BBO|2005}}
| 183
|-
|18
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[De Nardi|Domina Vacanze]] 
| 161
|-
|19
|{{flagicon|ESP}} {{UCI team code|EUS|2005}}
| 147
|-
|20
|{{flagicon|FRA}} {{UCI team code|FDJ|2005}}
| 130
|}

Team classification winner got 20 points, second 19, third 18 etc. Wildcard teams didn't score points, but ProTour teams didn't move up either. For example, no team received 20 points in [[Vuelta a España|Vuelta]] as team competition was won by Comunidad Valenciana.

===2005 ProTour Nation Rankings===

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccccff;"
!
!Country
!Points
|-
 | 1
| {{ITA}}
| 749
 |-
 | 2
| {{USA}}
| 559
 |-
 | 3
| {{ESP}}
| 459
 |-
 | 4
| {{GER}}
| 405
 |-
 | 5
| {{AUS}}
| 307
 |-
 | 6
| {{BEL}} 
| 304
 |-
 | 7 
| {{NED}}
| 280
 |-
 | 8
| {{LUX}}
| 191
 |-
 | 9
| {{FRA}}
| 163
 |-
 | 10 
| {{RUS}}
| 153
|-
 | 11
| {{KAZ}}
| 144
 |-
 | 12
| {{SUI}}
| 131
 |-
 | 13
| {{COL}}
| 119
 |-
 | 14
| {{UKR}}
| 101
 |-
 | 15
| {{DEN}}
| 97
 |-
 | 16
| {{NOR}} 
| 72
 |-
 | 17 
| {{SWE}}
| 67
 |-
 | 18
| {{AUT}}
| 62
 |-
 | 19
| {{SLO}}
| 53
 |-
 | 20 
| {{CZE}}
| 15
 |-
 | 21 
| {{NZL}}
| 7
 |-
 | 22
| {{EST}}
| 3
 |-
 | 23
| {{CRO}}
| 1
|}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080723103453/http://www.uciprotour.com/ Official Website]

{{2005 UCI ProTour}}
{{UCI ProTour}}
{{2005 in road cycling}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2005 Uci Protour}}
[[Category:2005 UCI ProTour| ]]
[[Category:2005 in road cycling|ProTour]]
[[Category:UCI ProTour|2005]]