British Cycling has announced changes to the format of its National Youth Omnium series, in order to allow young riders more flexibility and convenience as they compete for their respective titles.

The changes have been made following consultation with previous event organisers, coaching staff and regional event officers, and aim to give riders more choice over which rounds they compete in during the busy school term and exam period.

The 2020 series will be split over a longer period, with the six racing weekends taking place between March 21 and July 18, and leading into the HSBC UK | National Youth & Junior Track Championships which take place between August 8 and 12:

Weekend 1

Saturday 21 March: Newport

Sunday 22 March: Manchester, Glasgow, Lee Valley

Weekend 2

Saturday 25 April: Scunthorpe, Portsmouth

Sunday 26 April: Carmarthen

Weekend 3

Saturday 2 May: Halesowen, Dundee

Sunday 3 May: Herne Hill

Weekend 4

Saturday 6 June: Reading

Sunday 7 June: Maindy, Middlesbrough

Weekend 5

Saturday 13 June: Welwyn, Bournemouth

Sunday 14 June: Wolverhampton

Final

Saturday 25 July: Derby

HSBC UK | National Youth & Junior Track Championships

8 – 12 August: Glasgow

As well as the broader timeframe for the series, there have been significant changes to the competition format.

Events will no longer be split into groups – riders can choose one event to enter on a given weekend. Riders will be ranked nationally in their category, with the best three results to count. This means that while riders wishing to enter all rounds of the series may be required to travel, they can choose to enter only the three closest rounds without being at a disadvantage. The events have also been spread as widely as possible on each given weekend, reducing the amount of travel required as much as possible.

The top 24 riders in this national ranking will qualify for the final, where they will compete for the National Youth Omnium Championship titles. Additional reserve places for the final will be offered to the next placed riders in the ranking, ensuring that the field can be filled.

The numbers of rounds for female riders to choose between has remained the same as in 2019 where possible, ensuring that the positive steps increase the field size in each round are maintained.

Full regulations and event listings will be published here in due course.

British Cycling will continue to consult the various stakeholders to ensure that the format works as well as possible in supporting youth riders.