Points Race: The Thinking Rider’s Game

The Points Race is one of the most dynamic and tactical races on the track. It’s not just about finishing first, it’s about building the highest score over the course of the race.

Here’s how it works:

• Riders compete over a long distance (typically 20km or more)

• Every 5 laps, the bell rings, signaling a sprint lap

• The first 4 riders in each sprint score points (5, 3, 2, 1).

• Lapping the field earns a massive +20 points

• Getting lapped costs you -20 points

• The last lap can make or break your race, points on the last sprint are doubled (10, 6, 4, 2) and if you’re tied — the placement on the final sprint is the tiebreaker.

This race often sees a clash between sprinters, who time their efforts to win intermediate sprints, and endurance riders, who try to escape the field and gain a lap.

Key strategies include:

• Listening to the announcer: Know where you stand

• Covering attacks: Don’t let a competitor lap the field

• Maximizing strengths: Sprinters conserve energy between efforts; endurance riders grind out long-range moves

It’s a race of energy management, tactical awareness, and guts. Every move counts, and often, the winner doesn’t cross the finish line first...but they cross it smartest.