How does the points race work?
I · Intermediate · The bunch races · 4 of 6Riders collect points over a long race, and the highest total wins. On a 250 metre track there is a sprint every ten laps, worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points to the first four. The last sprint counts double. Gaining a lap on the field is worth 20 points and losing one costs 20.
How it works
- The event: final placings are decided by "accumulated points won by riders during the sprints and by taking laps".
- Sprints: every 10 laps on tracks shorter than 333.33 metres, and every 5 laps on longer ones.
- The points: "5 points, the second 3 points, the third 2 points and the fourth one point".
- The final sprint: doubled, to 10, 6, 4 and 2.
- Laps: plus 20 for a lap gained on the main field and minus 20 for one lost.
- A tie in a sprint: the riders share the place and both get its points.
- A tie on total points: the places in the final sprint decide.
- The start: a flying start after one neutralised lap.
- The sprints themselves: run to the rules of sprint races, so the lane rules apply.
- Lapped riders: may be withdrawn by the commissaires.
- Odd laps: if the laps do not divide evenly, the extra ones come before the first sprint.
- A stopped race: rerun if stopped before 40 per cent, resumed with the points held if between 40 and 80 per cent, and left to stand after 80 per cent.
The glossary has the points race, gaining and losing a lap, the bell, the sprint and the omnium.
Tricky cases
Does the first rider across the line at the end win?
No, not necessarily. That rider wins the final sprint and its 10 points. The race goes to the highest total.
Two riders finish level on points. Who is ahead?
The one who placed better in the final sprint.
A rider gains a lap exactly as a sprint is run. Do they get both?
Yes. They are awarded 20 points plus the points for the sprint.
How long is the race?
It depends on the category and the competition. The minimum for an elite men's final is 30 kilometres and for elite women 20, and the omnium uses 25 and 20.
Why the rule exists
A straight race over the same distance would be decided only at the end. Scoring along the way rewards the rider who is present throughout, and making a lap worth four sprint wins means a strong rider who cannot sprint still has a way to win.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tracks under 333.33 m | A sprint every 10 laps | UCI 3.2.116 |
| Longer tracks | A sprint every 5 laps | UCI 3.2.116 |
| In the omnium | Riders start with the points from the first three events | UCI 3.2.251 |
| Tempo race | One point a lap to the first rider only | UCI 3.2.261; UCI 3.2.262 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.2.114 to 3.2.133. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).