THE world voice of cycling Phil Liggett yesterday launched a withering attack on changes to the London track cycling program, saying BMX and mountain biking should never be Olympic sports.

Cycling's track cycling has seen popular events the individual pursuit, the madison, the points race, the women's 500m time trial and the traditional Games opener, the 1km time trial, dumped with only five track events remaining for both men and women.

Liggett said if anything should go, it was BMX and mountain biking.

Known the world over as the sport's foremost commentator, he said yesterday the track program would be diminished because of the changes.

"It is absolutely disgraceful what they have done. They have devastated the track with the new events and taking out the iconic events of the Olympics," Liggett said.

"They have taken out the exciting and interesting events - the individual pursuit, the 1km time trial and the women's 500m time trial, and put in an omnium that no one will ever understand.

"There is only one rider from each country in the omnium and they are a jack of all trades and master of none."

He said disciplines like BMX and mountain biking simply should never be in the Olympics, given they were not the pinnacle of their sport.

"Nations and riders complained, but the UCI (International Cycling Union) wanted equality," he said.

"They got that but they also took out women's events. They introduced BMX. Great, but I am sure (Olympics founder) Pierre de Coubertin would have laughed his head off if he found out it was an Olympic discipline.

"It might be exciting but we are talking the Olympic Games.

"We have never had a good mountain biking event. Thousands will watch them but they are not Olympic gold medal events.

"They weren't meant to be in the Olympic Games."

The five track cycling events - contested by both sexes - are the individual sprint, the team sprint, the keirin, the team pursuit, and the omnium.

Australia has world no.1 Sam Willoughby and world no.2 Caroline Buchanan in the BMX, meaning Australia is a strong chance of dual gold medals.

It also has reigning world champion Glenn O'Shea competing in the omnium, which consists of five separate races that include a 5k scratch race, a 3km individual pursuit, a 15km points race, a 1km time trial and a 200m flying start time trial.

The changes, announced two years ago by the UCI, mean reigning Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins cannot defend his Beijing individual pursuit title.

Instead he will try to help set up the road race sprint for Mark Cavendish, then win gold in the road time trial.

Liggett, who will commentate for Foxtel at the Olympics, said many people in track and road cycling share his views.

He said Australia could still make a resounding comeback at the Velodrome after just one silver medal in Beijing to the UK'S seven golds.

"These Olympics, especially at the track, is Great Britain versus Australia. The Aussies are back. They had the hiccup in Beijing and they are back.

"The Brits are afraid of them. A blink of the eye either way in the team pursuit and the gold goes (Australia's) way."

Originally published as Olympics no place for BMX: Liggett