Great Britain’s Laura Trott has welcomed changes to the omnium and does not believe it will damage her hopes of defending the Olympic title in Rio.

The 22-year-old won her second gold on the track at London 2012 in the six-event discipline and was also world champion in the same year in Melbourne.

In June, cycling’s governing body - the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) - announced key changes to the event, with the main points being:

• Riders will aim to collect the most, not the fewest, points over the six events.
• The winner of each of the first five events - the scratch race, individual pursuit, elimination race, time trial and flying lap - will be rewarded 40 points with second place receiving 38 points, third place 36 points and so on.
• The final event will be the points race with riders starting with the points they have accumulated from the first five events. Their total will then increase or decrease depending on their performance in the points race to decide the final positions.

Trott will take on the new format for the first time at a major event when she defends her crown at the European track championships in Guadeloupe from 15-19 October.

The new rules place more emphasis on the points race, an event Trott does not consider her strongest despite becoming Commonwealth Games champion in the discipline with an excellent performance in Glasgow.

Having already won in the new format at the Fenioux Piste International track meeting in July, the team pursuit Olympic and world champion is comfortable with the alterations.

“I prefer it to be honest, the points race is a bit more cagey now,” Trott said of the changes.

“You can't let people go up the road because the points aren't spread out enough.

“When it first came out I was thinking 'here we go' and I was thinking ‘this is terrible, why would they change that?' but having ridden it it's fine, I really enjoy it.

“It's quite nice having two timed events (the time trial and flying lap) one after another on the second day.”

Asked if the changes put her at a disadvantage, Trott said: “I wouldn't say so, if anything it puts more emphasis on the other events.

“You can't have a bad event before the points race otherwise it’s a handicap when you go into the points race. You could end up needing to catch up 20 points which is quite a lot in a points race especially if you don’t get a lap.

“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.

“So if one person gets a lap that's it, they are already winning, so everyone follows everyone. For me it was good because it meant just going for the sprints and that's the way I like to race the points race.”

Trott will be participating in the team pursuit and omnium at the UEC European Track Championships, which run from 15-19 October in Guadeloupe, France.