Performance director Dave Brailsford concedes there is an element of risk in British Cycling's move to adopt the proposed changes to the Olympic track programme.

Cycling's world governing body, the UCI, have proposed changes to the Olympic track programme to the International Olympic Committee in a bid for gender parity at the Games.

British Cycling are so certain the changes will be ratified in December that they have already adjusted their programme accordingly, including at the first Track World Cup meeting of the year in Manchester this weekend.

"We think there is a very high likelihood of that happening and therefore we decided to base our performance strategy around the changes," said Brailsford.

"If it doesn't happen, I don't think we'll lose anything, because we know what we're doing in the events that are already there, it's not an issue really."

Currently, there are seven male and three female track events, but the proposal would see both men's and women's individual pursuits, men's and women's points race and the men's Madison disappear in favour of sprints, keirins, team sprints, team pursuits and omniums for both sexes.

The new programme would leave Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero, who beat team-mate Wendy Houvenaghel to pursuit gold in Beijing last August, without individual titles to defend at the London event in 2012.

"We've looked at the situation and we suspect strongly that these changes will happen," said Brailsford.

"I think you can do two things: one thing is wait until that's applied and starting thinking, 'what are we going to do now? How are we going to plan for that?'

"Or equally we can decide 'right, what is the likelihood of that happening?'

"If it does happen, we're well ahead of the game; we've already started thinking about it, looking at the events, doing our homework.

"There's an element of risk in it, it's a calculated decision.

"The upside is good, the downside isn't so bad were it not to happen."