What is a scratch race?
B · Beginner · The bunch races · 7 of 8The plainest race on the track. All the riders start together and race a set distance, and the first across the line wins, with laps gained taken into account. There are no points and no intermediate sprints. Riders overtaken by the main bunch must leave the track at once.
How it works
- The event: "an individual race over a specified distance".
- The start: half the riders at the rail and half in the sprinters' lane, then a flying start after one neutralised lap.
- The result: "determined during the final sprint, taking into account laps gained".
- Lapped: "Riders overtaken by the main bunch shall immediately leave the track."
- Not finishing: a rider who does not end the race is not placed.
- In the omnium: 10 kilometres for elite men and women.
- Too many entries: qualifying heats cut the field to what the track can hold.
- A stopped race: restarted in the same session with the laps remaining, or with 10 laps to go if fewer than 10 were left. Riders keep laps gained or lost.
- If it cannot be restarted: the race is completely rerun.
The glossary has the scratch race, gaining and losing a lap, the bell and the omnium.
Tricky cases
A rider gains a lap and then finishes at the back of the bunch. Where are they placed?
Ahead of every rider who did not gain a lap. Laps gained come first, then the order in the final sprint.
A rider is lapped with five laps to go. Can they ride to the finish?
No. Riders overtaken by the main bunch must leave the track immediately.
Are there points for leading at half distance?
No. A scratch race has no intermediate sprints.
A rider falls in the last kilometre of the omnium scratch race. Do they get no points?
No. They are given the next available place and its points after the riders who finished.
Why the rule exists
The scratch race is a road race brought indoors. With nothing to score along the way, everything depends on whether a break can get a lap or whether it comes down to the sprint, which makes it the simplest bunch race to follow.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch race | No points. Lapped riders leave | UCI 3.2.177; UCI 3.2.178 |
| In the omnium | A fall in the last kilometre still earns a place | UCI 3.2.251 ter |
| Points race | Sprints every ten laps, lapped riders lose 20 points | UCI 3.2.116; UCI 3.2.118 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.2.173 to 3.2.183, 3.2.247 and 3.2.251 ter. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).