The track points race is a massed-start competition with a sprint for point held every eight or ten laps, the top four placers earning 5, 3, 2, 1 points respectively. Plus, if a rider laps the field he is awarded 20 points. 40 km is the usual distance.

With riders all over the track and on different laps, a points race can be bewildering to watch. But once the spectator has it figured out, it is one of the most spectacular events in cycling.

As part of a large reordering of Olympic track events, the men's and women's points race will not be held at the 2012 London Olympics as a seperate event.

It's now included in the Omnium

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