UCI bids to extend Olympic cycling programme for Rio 2016 with three extra events

Track cycling and other cycling diciplines could see a major shakeup with plans to extend the 2016 Olympic Games cycling programme to incude three extra events in Rio.

The UCI is expected to bid for the points races to return - they featured in Beijing but were replaced in favour of the multi-event omnium, for reasons of gender parity.

Other changes that are wanted are an extension to the BMX and mountain bike programmes to include more than the one discipline that was competed in at the London Games.

The new events would be BMX Freestyle and Mountain Bike Eliminator.

There is speculation that the omnium could be dropped, although that has not been confirmed by the UCI.

A statement from the UCI management committee read: 'With regards to the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), the management committee expressed its support for a proposal to be made to the International Olympic Committee for the addition to the cycling programme of a points race and BMX freestyle and mountain bike eliminator events for both men and women.'

Other news from the meeting of the Management Committee includes the ratification of the use of race radios in WorldTour events, and an addition of the Enduro format to the Mountain Bike discipline.