How does the omnium work?
I · Intermediate · The bunch races · 6 of 6Four bunch races in one day: scratch, tempo, elimination and points race. In each of the first three the winner gets 40 points, second 38, third 36 and so on. Riders carry those totals into the points race and add or lose points there. The highest total at the end wins.
How it works
- The event: "four races run with a maximum number of riders set by the track limit", held over one day.
- The order: scratch race, tempo race, elimination race, points race.
- Scoring the first three: "each winner shall be awarded 40 points, each second place shall be awarded 38 points, each third place shall be awarded 36 points, etc."
- Lower places: riders ranked 21st and below get one point each.
- The points race: riders start it with their totals and "add to, and lose points from" them through sprints and laps.
- The winner: the rider with the highest total of points.
- A tie: the places in the final sprint of the points race decide.
- Missing an event: a rider who fails to start or abandons any event may not continue.
- Losing two laps: in the scratch or tempo race the rider is withdrawn from that race and loses 40 points.
- Distances for the elite: a 10 kilometre scratch race and a points race of 25 kilometres for men and 20 for women.
- Rest: at least 30 minutes between events where possible.
- Start order: by the endurance ranking for the scratch race, and after that by the current omnium standings.
The glossary has the omnium, the scratch race, the tempo race, the elimination race and the points race.
Tricky cases
A rider wins the first three events. Have they won the omnium?
No. They start the points race with 120 points, but a rival who gains laps there at 20 points each can still overtake them.
How many points separate first from fifth in one of the first three events?
Eight. The scale goes down by two points a place: 40, 38, 36, 34, 32.
A rider crashes out of the elimination race and cannot finish it. Can they ride the points race?
It depends on whether they are counted as abandoning. A rider who abandons any event may not continue in the omnium. A rider eliminated after a mishap is placed by the time of elimination.
Two riders end on the same total. Who wins?
The one who placed better in the final sprint of the points race.
Why the rule exists
Each of the four races favours a different rider, so the omnium looks for the best all-round endurance rider on the track. Ending with a points race in which everyone's running total is live means the result is settled on the track in the last race and not on paper beforehand.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Elite | Scratch 10 km. Points race 25 km for men, 20 km for women | UCI 3.2.247 |
| Juniors | Shorter distances | UCI 3.2.247 |
| Too many entries | Points race heats decide who rides | UCI 3.2.247 bis |
| The track becomes unusable | The standings after the elimination race may stand as the result | UCI 3.2.252 bis |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.2.247 to 3.2.252 bis. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).