Double Olympic champion Laura Trott has welcomed the changes introduced to the omnium race as she gets set to defend her crown at the forthcoming European Track Championships in Guadeloupe.
Trott claimed her second gold at London 2012 when she added the omnium title to her team pursuit victory, while she was also crowned word champion in the six-discipline event in the same year in Melbourne.
In June cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), announced key changes to the event, including riders aiming to collect the most, instead of the fewest, number of points over the course of the competition.
Positions will be determined by the final points race with the riders’ total from the first five events increasing or decreasing depending on their performances in the finale.
The new rules therefore place more emphasis on the points race, an event Trott does not consider her strongest despite being crowned Commonwealth Games champion in the discipline in Glasgow this summer.
However the 22-year-old has already won in the new format at the Fenioux Piste International track meeting in July.
And with this month’s European Track Championships from October 15-19 providing the first opportunity to take on the changes at a major event, reigning champion Trott believes consistency is required to come out on top.
“I prefer it to be honest, the points race is a bit more cagey now,” she said.
“You can't let people go up the road because the points aren't spread out enough.
“It's quite nice having two timed events (the time trial and flying lap) one after another on the second day.
“You can't have a bad event before the points race otherwise it’s a handicap when you go into the points race.
“I had won four of the five events (at Fenioux Piste International) before the points race yet I only had a 10-point lead over the rider in second place.”
© Sportsbeat 2014